Docstoc feed for: Legal->Patents->Binder Devicehttp://www.docstoc.com/documents/legal//patents//binder device/most-recent/The following documents are the recent documents shared by the docstoc community in the Legal->Patents->Binder Device categoryhttp://i.docstoccdn.com/logo.gifDocstoc.comhttp://www.docstoc.comhttp://i.docstoccdn.com/logo.gif10Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:45:02 GMTSun, 02 Aug 2015 18:45:02 GMTRing Binder Mechanism With Polymeric Housing And Actuator - Patent 8147160http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118871565/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing-And-Actuator---Patent-8147160<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118871565/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing-And-Actuator---Patent-8147160 title="Ring Binder Mechanism With Polymeric Housing And Actuator - Patent 8147160"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118871565.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, April 16, 2012<p>FIELD The field of this invention relates to ring binder mechanisms for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to a ring binder mechanism having a housing constructed at least in part from a polymeric material and an actuator.BACKGROUND Typical ring binder mechanisms have a plurality of rings for retaining loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. The rings can be selectively opened to add or remove pages from the ring binder mechanism or closed toretain the pages while allowing the pages to be moved along the rings. Each of the rings includes paired ring members mounted on adjacent hinge plates that are joined together about a pivot axis. A housing, which is typically metal and elongate,supports the hinge plates within the housing for pivotal movement relative to the housing about the pivot axis. Often, the housing is generally arch-shaped (e.g., U-shaped or C-shaped) in cross-section, with bent-under rims that hold the hinge plateswithin the housing. The housing of the ring binder mechanism typically has an exposed metal outer surface. This exposed surface often contains nickel plating, to which some people may be sensitive. Additionally, it is difficult and costly to print on a metalsurface particularly where the metal surface is nickel-plated. The process of nickel plating can also present some environmental and work hazard issues. Accordingly, it is known in some instances to replace the metal housing with a housing constructedfrom a polymeric material. The housing, in an undeformed state, is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position. As the hinge plates pivot through this coplanar position, they deform the resilient housing laterallyoutwardly and cause a spring force in the housing to urge the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either upward to open the rings or downward to close the rings. When the rings are closed, the spring force of the hou</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:36:40 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118871565/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing-And-Actuator---Patent-8147160Computer-contained Binder - Patent 8142096http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118839479/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8142096<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118839479/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8142096 title="Computer-contained Binder - Patent 8142096"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118839479.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, April 15, 2012<p>This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 98210138, filed Jun. 8, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND 1. Field of Invention The present disclosure relates to a document binder, and more particularly to a computer-contained binder. 2. Description of Related Art Nowadays, paper notebooks on the market, such as organizers with paper format sizes such as A3, A4, A5, B4, and B5, and allow users (i.e. salesmen or students) to write on papers instantly. However, one of drawbacks for paper notebooks is thatpaper notebooks cause paper trash problems. On the other hand, as computer products on the market becomes level up, but cheaper, these computer products are easy to enter people's life, for example, people usually use computer product as a word processing tool in theirs offices orfamilies. Furthermore, because a laptop computer is easy to carry, people trend to have one instead of a desktop computer. Also, computer companies put the laptop computer and a paper notebook together for a product to help users to record information bytyping rather than writing. However, since the format size of a laptop computer and that of paper notebooks are not the same, the laptop computer may be lost when the laptop computer is detached from the paper notebook. Meanwhile, even when the laptop computer and the paper notebook are integrated together, it might be inconvenient and trouble how to place the laptop computer properly on the right hand side or the left hand side of the paper notebook.SUMMARY A computer-contained binder is provided in this disclosure. The computer-contained binder comprises a document binder and a computer device. The document binder has two cover plates and some parallel folder rings piercing through an edge of the cover plates. The computer device comprises a main body, acolumn-shaped battery portion, and a movable arm. The column-shaped battery portion is pierced through by all of the parallel folder rin</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:42:56 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118839479/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8142096Computer-contained Binder - Patent 8137020http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118822976/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8137020<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118822976/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8137020 title="Computer-contained Binder - Patent 8137020"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118822976.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, April 15, 2012<p>This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 98210137, filed Jun. 8, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND 1. Field of Invention The present disclosure relates to a document binder, and more particularly to a computer-contained binder. 2. Description of Related Art Nowadays, paper notebooks on the market, such as organizers with paper format sizes such as A3, A4, A5, B4, and B5, and allow users (i.e. salesmen or students) to write on papers instantly. However, one of drawbacks for paper notebooks is thatpaper notebooks cause paper trash problems. On the other hand, as computer products on the market becomes level up, but cheaper, these computer products are easy to enter people's life, for example, people usually use computer product as a word processing tool in theirs offices orfamilies. Furthermore, because a laptop computer is easy to carry, people trend to have one instead of a desktop computer. Also, computer companies put the laptop computer and a paper notebook together for a product to help users to record information bytyping rather than writing. However, since the format size of a laptop computer and that of paper notebooks are not the same, the laptop computer may be lost when the laptop computer is detached from the paper notebook. Meanwhile, even when the laptop computer and the paper notebook are integrated together, it might be inconvenient and trouble how to place the laptop computer properly on the right hand side or the left hand side of the paper notebook.SUMMARY A computer-contained binder is provided in this disclosure. The computer-contained binder comprises a document binder and a computer device. The document binder has at least one cover and some parallel folder rings piercing through an edge of the cover. The computer device comprises a main body, acolumn-shaped battery portion, and two shafts. The column-shaped battery portion is pierced through by all of the parallel folder rings, and</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:13:17 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118822976/Computer-contained-Binder---Patent-8137020Device And Method For Aligning And Securing A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8128305http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118780975/Device-And-Method-For-Aligning-And-Securing-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8128305<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118780975/Device-And-Method-For-Aligning-And-Securing-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8128305 title="Device And Method For Aligning And Securing A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8128305"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118780975.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, April 14, 2012<p>CROSS REFERENCE NoneBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device and method for aligning and securing a ring binder mechanism which is secured to a base member, such as the spine of a notebook, to form a storage device for storing loose-leaf pages, such as thecommonly known three-ring binder. 2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional ring binder mechanisms are generally constructed of a substantially rigid, elongated upper member or housing supporting a pair of plates mounted for pivotal movement within the housing with each plate carrying a plurality ofhalf-rings, commonly three. Each half-ring on one plate is aligned with a similar half-ring on the other plate so that in a closed position the half-rings form a closure, generally circular or D-shaped in configuration, for holding a plurality ofloose-leaf pages within a binder or base member to which the ring binder mechanism is secured. Commonly, the half-rings in conventional ring binders extend up through openings or slots formed in the binder upper member or housing such that loose-leafpages mounted to the half rings through holes adjacent the pages' edges rest on the upper surface of the housing, as is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,649. In addition, some conventional ring binder mechanisms have their half-rings mountedso as to extend around the lateral edges of the housing and outward a sufficient distance such that the loose-leaf pages rest on a relatively horizontal portion of the half-rings and the edges of the paper do not touch the housing, as is shown forexample in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,263,687 and 4,552,478. It is also common to use such ring binder mechanisms either attached to the spine of the cover or base member or attached to one side of the cover or base member. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,621,portions of the contents of which were used to describe the present invention, e.g. prior art FIGS. 1-6. U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,621 i</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:52:18 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118780975/Device-And-Method-For-Aligning-And-Securing-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8128305Combination Flipbook And Pull-up Focal Header - Patent 8118514http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742941/Combination-Flipbook-And-Pull-up-Focal-Header---Patent-8118514<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742941/Combination-Flipbook-And-Pull-up-Focal-Header---Patent-8118514 title="Combination Flipbook And Pull-up Focal Header - Patent 8118514"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118742941.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, April 14, 2012<p>BACKGROUND Various types of displays are used to provide information to consumers in a retail environment. Displays that are eye-catching and that readily provide comprehensive information about the product offered for sale help draw the attention of theconsumers and promote retail sales. Additionally, displays having information that is easily changeable and adjustable provides more efficient use of resources, including better use of employee time and reduced costs, for example. While traditionaldisplays accomplish these features to some extent, enhancements in the functionality, or overall merchandising effectiveness, of such displays remain to be realized.SUMMARY Some aspects relate to a display system including a binder, a header, a retaining bracket and an extension assembly. The binder includes a plate, a plurality of sheets and an attachment assembly. The plate has a front surface, a rear surfaceand an edge. The attachment assembly secures a plurality of sheets at the front surface of the plate and maintains and displays information. The header includes indicia and is adapted to be positioned in a retracted position where the header issubstantially obscured from view by the plate and an extended position where the header extends substantially from the edge of the plate. The retaining bracket is attached to the rear surface of the plate. The extension assembly is adapted to engagethe retaining bracket to maintain the header in the extended position. Other aspects relate to a merchandising system including a flipbook and a display assembly. The flipbook includes a panel and first and second jaws connected to the panel. The first and second jaws are adapted to be transitioned between anopen position and a closed position, where the jaws are adapted to secure a plurality of pages such that the pages are able to be turned when the jaws are in the closed position. The display assembly includes a support connected to the panel, asubstantially U-shaped sp</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:43:00 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742941/Combination-Flipbook-And-Pull-up-Focal-Header---Patent-8118514Binder Lock Mechanism Including A Manually Adjustable Locking Bar - Patent 8118513http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742923/Binder-Lock-Mechanism-Including-A-Manually-Adjustable-Locking-Bar---Patent-8118513<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742923/Binder-Lock-Mechanism-Including-A-Manually-Adjustable-Locking-Bar---Patent-8118513 title="Binder Lock Mechanism Including A Manually Adjustable Locking Bar - Patent 8118513"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118742923.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, April 14, 2012<p>The present invention relates to a binder lock mechanism that comprises a manually adjustable locking bar and locking-hook parts co-operating with said bar. Known mechanisms to provide locking of the holding prongs of binders in a desired intended shut or half-open position are of varying design and also having different functions. They are more or less intricate to manufacture as well as assemblebut also to use. The mechanisms that consist of metal become heavy and costly as well as frequently require a complicated assembly of all details included. The mechanisms manufactured from plastic comprise complicated forms of the parts, and thestrength of the lock parts also varies substantially between different makes and designs. For instance, it is not always exact motion actuation that is obtained when the actuation button of the mechanisms is pressed down to open the binder, owing to thecomplicated mutual co-operation of the parts and because of the slender dimensions and design of the parts, respectively. Examples of a known mechanism are shown in US2002/0122687A1. In that connection, a manually actuatable depressable gripping member is present in order to be able to actuate the locking parts of the mechanism. However, said mechanism isextraordinarily complicated both to manufacture and also to operate. Therefore, the main object with the present invention is primarily to solve, among others, the above-mentioned problems in a reliable and efficient way. Said object is achieved by means of a binder lock mechanism according to the present invention that substantially is characterized in that pair-wise mutually overlapable locking-hook parts, projecting from a respective binder end half, connectedwith the same, and situated at mutual distances from each other--said binder end halves being connected by an intermediate pivot joint--present openings adapted to receive a respective lock lever connected with the locking bar and have a respective locklever permanently</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 14 Apr 2012 06:42:30 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118742923/Binder-Lock-Mechanism-Including-A-Manually-Adjustable-Locking-Bar---Patent-8118513Sheet Lifter - Patent 8096726http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118657807/Sheet-Lifter---Patent-8096726<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118657807/Sheet-Lifter---Patent-8096726 title="Sheet Lifter - Patent 8096726"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118657807.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, April 12, 2012<p>BACKGROUND The field of my invention is Sheet Lifters as used with multi ring sheet or page holders and multi ring binders. In the past various devices have been used to solve the page jamming or impingement problem that occurs when the holder or binderis closed after being opened. This is an invention that solves the page jamming/impingement problem caused when loose-leaf binders are closed. As most people know, the sheets or pages tend to slide around the rings to lay flat on the front and backcovers of the holder or binder when the holder or binder is in the open or use position. When the holder or binder is closed (moving the covers to the closed position) the sheets or pages resist movement around the rings due to friction and are heldcaptive between the ring(s) and cover(s) requiring an additional step by the user to slide the sheets or pages up the rings to a point above the horizontal, then the holder or binder may be closed with the sheets or pages assuming their stored or closedposition. Often the step of sliding the sheets or pages up the rings to the point above the horizontal is ignored, forgotten or not thought of with the resulting friction causing damage to the sheets or pages. This problem has been inherent in ringmechanisms that are commonly used in loose-leaf binders since their inception. We have all experienced the page jamming that occurs when closing a loose-leafbinder. With the pages laid out on the front and back covers, unless the user manually moves the pages up and toward the top center of the ring, it is virtuallyimpossible to close such a binder without the pages/sheets being caught or jammed under the right and left sides of the ring mechanism by the cover(s). This jamming also causes pages to tear and fall out of binders. For years companies have made sheet lifter devices of various kinds and shapes to solve this problem without success. The size of the loose-leaf market and the resultant size of the problem is evidence that</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:38:24 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118657807/Sheet-Lifter---Patent-8096726Modular Locking Binder System - Patent 8083429http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118589275/Modular-Locking-Binder-System---Patent-8083429<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/118589275/Modular-Locking-Binder-System---Patent-8083429 title="Modular Locking Binder System - Patent 8083429"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/118589275.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, April 11, 2012<p>The present invention relates to the field of systems for organizing documents, and more particularly to a modular filing system for holding documents in a binder.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Systems for organizing and holding documents are well-known and exist in many varieties. A common system for organizing documents is with a ring-type binder. These ring-type binders typically include a plurality of loose-leaf page retainingmembers positioned longitudinally between opposing ends of such binders. The page retaining members are configured to extend through corresponding apertures in the preferred loose-leaf elements thereby retaining the loose-leaf elements in the ring-typebinder. In some ring-type binders, the page retaining members include two separable members which, then adjoined, form a loop for retaining loose-leaf elements. These separable page retaining members are configured to permit the user to insertloose-leaf elements in the binder and to remove or replace loose-leaf elements retained therein. In other binders, the page retaining members do not separate in a manner which enables the user to insert or replace loose-leaf elements. These binders may take the form of a conventional spiral or other notebooks wherein the loose leafs arefixed therein using a continuous wire member configured in a helix or other manner so as to define a plurality of loose-leaf page retaining members. Binders come in many standard sizes with respect to both capacity and paper size. The most common type in the United States is a three ring system for letter size pages (81/2.times.11 in), whereas most other countries use a two or four holesystem for holding A4 sheets. The lever arch system is particularly useful for larger amounts of paper. Some personal organizers and memorandum books use a six or seven hole system. Most binder covers are made of three pieces, in the fashion of a hardback book, but are produced in many styles. Materials vary widely. Some vinyl binders</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:08:13 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/118589275/Modular-Locking-Binder-System---Patent-8083429Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8052343http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102283339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8052343<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102283339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8052343 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8052343"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102283339.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together. A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on one or both endsof the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. But a drawback to these known ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members are closed, they do not positively lock together. So if the mechanism is accidentallydropped, the ring members may unintentionally open. Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. The blocking structure positively loc</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:42:22 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102283339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8052343Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8047737http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102243069/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8047737<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102243069/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8047737 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8047737"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102243069.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.BACKGROUND A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are opened, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers or other actuators may also be providedon one or both ends of the housing for moving the ring members between the opened and closed positions. But a drawback to these known ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members are closed, they do not positively lock together. So if themechanism is accidentally dropped, the ring members may unintentionally open. Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. The</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:25:54 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102243069/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8047737Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8043018http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225503/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8043018<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225503/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8043018 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 8043018"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102225503.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011<p>The present invention generally relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together. A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing them to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivotrelative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing andcause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ringmembers together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on both endsof the binder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The substantialspring force required to keep the ring members closed also makes pivoting the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) difficult so that it is hard to both op</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:00:49 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225503/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-8043018Card Supplying And Storage System - Patent 8043019http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225228/Card-Supplying-And-Storage-System---Patent-8043019<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225228/Card-Supplying-And-Storage-System---Patent-8043019 title="Card Supplying And Storage System - Patent 8043019"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102225228.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011<p>BACKGROUND This invention is directed to a card dispensing and storage system and, more particularly, to an index card dispensing and storage system. Index cards are useful items typically used in the home, classroom or office environments for various note taking and display purposes. Index cards typically are generally flat and have a front and a back surface on which a user can write orpost various indicia. The relatively small dimensions of index cards may make them a nuisance to carry and store and they may easily be misplaced or lost. Accordingly, there is a need for index cards that may easily be stored, thereby minimizing the risk of loss. Further, there is a need for a method for storing index cards that allows a user to easily access the index cards while storing them ina readily accessible location.SUMMARY The present invention is a system for supplying and storing index cards in which the cards can be easily stored and accessed. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one storage sheet having at least one pocket, at least one supplysheet having at least one index card formed therein and detachable therefrom, and a binding mechanism that binds the storage sheet and the supply sheet together. In another embodiment the present invention is a method for assembling an index card storage system including the steps of providing at least one storage sheet having at least one pocket, providing at least one supply sheet that includes atleast one index card formed therein and detachable therefrom, and binding the storage sheet and supply sheet together with a binding mechanism. In yet another embodiment, the invention is a method for storing index cards including providing a system including at least one storage sheet having at least one pocket, at least one supply sheet having at least one index card formed thereinand detachable therefrom, and a binding mechanism binding the at least one storage sheet and the at least one supply sheet together. The met</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:58:16 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102225228/Card-Supplying-And-Storage-System---Patent-8043019Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102180185/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102180185/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF title="Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102180185.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking ring members together. As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening toadd or remove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. Thehousing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180). So as the hinge plates pivot through thisposition, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring forceresists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing themtogether. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position to open or close the ring members (in addition to manually pulling the ringmembers apart or pushing them together). One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The subs</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:18:45 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102180185/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDFBinder With Multi-access Pocket - Patent 8033747http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102130156/Binder-With-Multi-access-Pocket---Patent-8033747<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/102130156/Binder-With-Multi-access-Pocket---Patent-8033747 title="Binder With Multi-access Pocket - Patent 8033747"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/102130156.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, November 08, 2011<p>The present invention is directed to a binder, and more particularly, to a binder with apocket which can be accessed from multiple sides of the binder.BACKGROUND Binders and other similar components may be used to store loose-leaf papers, bound notebooks, etc. Users of such notebooks also typically utilize handouts, papers, writing instruments and other accessories for use with the binder. Binders mayinclude internal and/or external pockets for storing such components. However, access to internal pockets may be limited when the binder is in its closed position, and, conversely, it may be difficult or inconvenient to access the external pockets whenthe binder is in its open position. Accordingly, there is a need for a binder having a pocket which can be accessed from either inside and/or outside the binder.SUMMARY In one embodiment, the present invention is a binder having a pocket which can be accessed from either inside and/or outside the binder. In particular, in one embodiment, the binder includes a pocket located on one of the covers of the binder,wherein the pocket can be accessed from either side of the cover. In one embodiment, the invention is a binder including a first cover and a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover, both of the covers being generally flat and planar and having a first and second opposite sides thereof. The binderfurther includes a pocket coupled to the first cover, wherein the pocket can be accessed from both the first and second sides of the first cover. In another embodiment, the invention is a binder including a first cover and a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover, with both of the covers being generally flat and planar. The first cover includes an opening and has a first sideand a second side. The binder further includes a pocket coupled to the first cover and generally received in the opening, the pocket including a first panel and a second panel defining a pocket cavity therebetween. The first pa</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:46:40 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/102130156/Binder-With-Multi-access-Pocket---Patent-8033747Adjustable Tab Divider - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/96970253/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/96970253/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDF title="Adjustable Tab Divider - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/96970253.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, September 28, 2011<p>The invention is generally directed to dividers for three-ring binders and the like, and more particularly to dividers having adjustable tabs.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various techniques have been used to divide a stack of paper, such as a stack of paper held by a binder, into different sections. One conventional technique involves using divider pages having integrally formed tabs at fixed locations. Suchdivider pages are generally sold in sets with the tabs of the divider pages in a set being formed at different longitudinal locations along the edge of the divider page opposite the edge at which the dividers are bound. In a binder, the divider pagesare arranged so that each tab is visible (i.e., not obstructed by another tab). Further, dividers are generally arranged so that the first divider in a series has a tab located at one end of the divider edge, and each successive divider in the serieshas a tab offset by some increment. The fixed location of the tabs of such dividers leads to disadvantages. For example, the insertion, removal, and rearrangement of divider pages having integrally formed tabs may disrupt the orderly progression of the tabs in a binder, resultingin the obstruction of some tabs by other tabs and a generally disorganized appearance. To address the disadvantages that result from using fixed tabs, dividers with repositionable tabs have been developed. One divider having a repositionable tab is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,487 ("Ong"). The divider of Ong is rectangularin shape and includes an edge with holes to receive binder rings and an opposite edge having a plurality of parallel, uniformly spaced slots. The divider includes a tab, which may be provided with a label. The tab may be positioned between any twoneighboring slots by inserting ears of the tab into the neighboring slots. The tab may be removed and repositioned by removing the ears from one pair of neighboring slots and introducing the ears into a different pair havi</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:42:26 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/96970253/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDFRefillable Notebook - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/96880801/Refillable-Notebook---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/96880801/Refillable-Notebook---PDF title="Refillable Notebook - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/96880801.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, September 27, 2011<p>The present invention is directed to a notebook, and more particularly, to a notebook in which sheet itemsand other contents can be added to or removed from the notebook.BACKGROUND Many notebooks, such as spiral bound or coil bound notebooks, include a set of papers, and optionally covers, which are bound together by the spiral or coil binding mechanism. The spiral or coil binding mechanism may allow the various sheets ofthe notebook to be folded three hundred and sixty degrees or nearly three hundred and sixty degrees around the binding mechanism such that the folded sheets can underlie the unfolded sheets lying thereabove. However, in most spiral bound or coil bound notebooks, papers cannot be removed from the notebook without tearing the papers. In addition, such spiral bound and coil bound notebooks do not easily allow a user to add papers thereto. Accordingly, there is a need for a notebook having a binding mechanism which allows sheets and other contents to be pivoted underneath overlying sheets, and which allows the sheets and other contents to be easily removed from, and added to, the notebook.SUMMARY In one embodiment, the invention is a binding mechanism assembly for binding a sheet item. The binding mechanism assembly includes a backing member having an upper surface, and a binding member directly or indirectly coupled to the backingmember. The binding member includes a protrusion shaped and located to protrude through a hole of a sheet item to be bound thereto. The binding member further includes a generally flexible flange that is manually movable into engagement with theprotrusion to form a generally closed loop and thereby bind the sheet item thereto. The loop is rotatable relative to the backing member from a first position in which the loop is generally located above the upper surface to a second position wherein atleast part of the loop is located below the upper surface. The loop is fixedly and not slidably coupled to the backing member. I</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:34:55 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/96880801/Refillable-Notebook---PDFLever For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7950867http://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202454/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7950867<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202454/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7950867 title="Lever For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7950867"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/82202454.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, June 21, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members. A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180 degrees). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. A pivoting lever is often provided on one or both ends of the housing for engaging the hinge plates and moving them through the coplanar position to open and closethe ring members. An example is shown in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,247 (Yu). In many ring mechanisms, the lever is not secure when the ring members are in the open and/or closed position. There may be "play" in the lever producing an unstable feeling in the mechanism. This "play" is often due to variances inmanufacturing mechanisms so that the levers disengage the hinge plates when the ring members are in the open and/or closed positions. It would be desirable to provide a more stable ring mechanism in which the lever is i</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:25:20 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202454/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7950867Ring Binder Mechanism With Polymeric Housing - Patent 7950866http://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing---Patent-7950866<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing---Patent-7950866 title="Ring Binder Mechanism With Polymeric Housing - Patent 7950866"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/82202339.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, June 21, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to a ring binder mechanism having a housing constructed at least in part from a polymeric material.BACKGROUND A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. A housing--typically metal and elongated--loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge plates together so they may pivot relative to the housing. The housing has a generally arch-shaped cross-section, with bent-underrims that hold the hinge plates within the housing. The hinge plates are disposed within and extend across the open bottom part of the arch spaced from the top wall of the arch and the ring members extend through notches or openings in the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing laterally outwardlyand cause a spring force in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps thering members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on oneor both ends of the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. Conventionally, the housing is mounted on the file or not</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:24:03 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/82202339/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Polymeric-Housing---Patent-7950866Ring Binder Cover - Patent 7934884http://www.docstoc.com/docs/81216874/Ring-Binder-Cover---Patent-7934884<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/81216874/Ring-Binder-Cover---Patent-7934884 title="Ring Binder Cover - Patent 7934884"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/81216874.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, June 07, 2011<p>This invention relates to a professional looking ring binder cover for holding three or two hole punched documents. The ring binder cover can be top bound or side bound.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is often desirable to place papers and documents in a cover for storage and protection. A common method is to put two or three punched holes in an edge of the papers and fit them over a two or three ring binder in a cover. Side bound coverstypically use three ring binders while top bound covers typically use two ring binders. It is desirable to provide identification on the cover's spine or front to note the contents of the cover, assuming that it will be placed on a shelf or in a file drawer with other covers, in order to distinguish one cover from another. Also,it is desirable to put a firm or company name or logo on the cover to provide a professional appearance. A need exists to provide an elegant, high image professional looking cover which is also economical and easy to assemble. It is also desirable to make it as easy as possible to insert and remove papers from the cover. This makes it easier toremove or add documents in revisions, or to take out documents for copying. Also, it is desirable to have the cover allow the contents to lie flat on a table. Further, as such covers are often used on surfaces that can be scratched, it is best to avoiduse of metal, or other hard objects, such as rivets or the like that could scratch or mar a surface.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cover is provided comprising a member forming a front cover, spine and rear cover, a ring binder and a flexible surround encapsulating the ring binder and securing the ring binder to themember. The flexible surround can be a paper surround. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the paper surround forms a portion of the member. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cover is either a topb</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:45:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/81216874/Ring-Binder-Cover---Patent-7934884Binder And Multi-function Binder Hold Down Page - Patent 7699553http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78290249/Binder-And-Multi-function-Binder-Hold-Down-Page---Patent-7699553<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78290249/Binder-And-Multi-function-Binder-Hold-Down-Page---Patent-7699553 title="Binder And Multi-function Binder Hold Down Page - Patent 7699553"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78290249.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, April 30, 2011<p>The present invention relates to binders, and more specifically to a binder hold down page of multi-function construction that is equipped with one or more article holders.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the past, binder arrangements consisted of a pair of covers each joined to a spine by a hinge with at least one binder, such as a three ring binder, attached to an inside surface of one of the covers. In previous binder arrangements, thehinge was a conventional hinge that is a separate component that attaches to the spine and one of the covers. Unfortunately, use of a separate hinge is not only more costly to produce, but it also increases assembly costs because it requires moreassembly steps. More recently, living hinges formed by a break or weakness in a board of one-piece construction have been used to break the board up into a pair of covers and a spine. However, such a hinge only permits the cover to bend relative to thespine along a single line. Where the storage volume of the binder is at or greater than the storage capacity of the binder, closing the binder becomes more difficult. In fact, repeated closings of an overfilled binder can create a crease elsewhere inone or both binder covers. Over time, such a crease can develop into a crack that leads to premature failure of the binder cover, ultimately requiring replacement of the binder.Binders often include a hold down page whose function is to help hold down the contents being held by the binder to keep the contents of the binder more organized. Unfortunately, hold down pages typically are themselves not tied down orotherwise anchored, making them largely ineffective. In addition, hold down pages often warp, curl or become bent over time because of this. As a result, hold down pages are often a nuisance and many times are discarded.Binder arrangements can be packaged in the configuration of a case that can be opened using a zipper that has one end attached to the spine. Unfortunately, over time, re</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 30 Apr 2011 01:28:26 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78290249/Binder-And-Multi-function-Binder-Hold-Down-Page---Patent-7699553Binding Tool For Documents Or The Like - Patent 7690855http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78201454/Binding-Tool-For-Documents-Or-The-Like---Patent-7690855<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78201454/Binding-Tool-For-Documents-Or-The-Like---Patent-7690855 title="Binding Tool For Documents Or The Like - Patent 7690855"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78201454.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, April 28, 2011<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a technology for binding tools that serve to open and close rings, which are formed of ring members so as to be able to open and close, by means of a switching lever for filing or binding documents or the like.2. Description of the Related ArtThere have hitherto been widely known lever arch type binding tools which have a plurality of ring members fixedly secured to an inner surface of a cover body of a binder or the like in such a manner that the ring members can be opened by anoperation of a lever.As such a lever arch type binding tool, there is one described, for example, in a first patent document (Japanese utility model application laid-open No. S57-24077). The binding tool described in this document is provided with a strip-like baseportion formed of a metal plate, two rings that are each formed of a plurality of ring members mounted on the base portion, and a switching mechanism with an operation lever that serves to change each ring to toggle between a closed ring posture and anopened ring posture. Those ones among the ring members constituting the two rings which are arranged at one side are constructed so as to be rotatable relative to the base portion in such a manner that the rings can be opened and closed by an operationof depressing the operation lever.In the binding tool as described in the first patent document, in which the ring members at one side are constructed to be rotatable with respect to the base portion, the degree of opening of each ring is small and a portion thereof to be openedis limited to one side, and the operation lever protrudes in the vicinity of the rings in their open state, so operation efficiency upon binding or unbinding (taking out) documents or the like is poor.In addition, in such a lever arch type binding tool, the switching mechanism is large in size and is located in a central portion between the two rings, and the lever extending therefrom protrudes in the v</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:00:36 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78201454/Binding-Tool-For-Documents-Or-The-Like---Patent-7690855Ring Binder Mechanism - Download as PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78090570/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78090570/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDF title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Download as PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78090570.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, April 27, 2011<p>SThis application is based on German Serial No. 10 2006 004 113.5 filed on Jan. 27, 2006, which claims priority to German Serial No. 10 2005 016 900.7 filed on Apr. 12, 2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference and to whichpriority is claimed.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe invention concerns a ring binder mechanism with a housing having a C or U-shaped cross section with spring elastic spreadable flanks for two carrier rails, which on their longitudinal edges facing each other (inward facing) lie against eachother to form a linkage or articulation axis and with their longitudinal edges facing away from each other (outward facing) engage in bearing grooves of the housing flanks, and with at least two half-rings rigidly connected with the carrier rails in adefined longitudinal spacing, preferably extending through openings in the housing wall and pair-wise cooperating to form a ring, wherein the carrier rails and the linkage axis, taking along the half-rings, are limitedly pivotable relative to each otherbetween an open position and a closed position under the influence of, or overcoming the influence of, a spring force produced by bending open the housing flanks, and with at least one locking element movable relative to the housing and to the carrierrails, preferably pretensioned in the direction of the closed position under the influence of at least one locking spring, which in the locked position blocks the pivot path of the carrier rails about the linkage axis and is supported against at leastone bearing for receiving locking forces and which in the open position unblocks the pivot path of the carrier rails.2. Description of Related ArtIn ring binder mechanisms, it is known to secure the organizing half-rings to carrier rails that are encompassed by a housing of a spring elastic material. The carrier rails are introduced in the housing in such</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 27 Apr 2011 02:11:07 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78090570/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDFBinder Unit - Patent 7670075http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069598/Binder-Unit---Patent-7670075<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069598/Binder-Unit---Patent-7670075 title="Binder Unit - Patent 7670075"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78069598.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION1. Field of InventionThe present invention relates to a paper binder, and more particularly to a binder unit for binding a stack sheet, wherein the binder unit provides a one-piece structure to securely hold the edge portion of the bundle of sheets through the holesthereof.2. Description of Related ArtsA paper binder is considered as one of the common tools to hold several sheets of paper together. It is usually commonly used in office. People widely uses in its small, light, quick, and easily removed. Accordingly, there are two major typesof conventional paper binder, which are hole-punching type and non-hole-punching type.The non-hole-punching type of paper binder consists of paper clip, binder clip, and staples for holding bounce of paper together without punching any hole on the paper. The paper clip is a device which holds several sheets of paper together bymeans of pressure. It leaves the paper intact and can be quickly and easily removed. However, the paper clips must be configured in different sizes to fit the corresponding thickness of the paper stack. In other words, when more sheets of paper aregradually accumulated to increase the thickness of the paper stack, the user must change a bigger size of paper clip to hold the paper stack tightly.Furthermore, the paper clip is a thin wire bent into a looped shape that takes advantage of the elasticity and strength of the material of its construction. However, the paper clip is extremely easy to be deformed its shape to loss the clip)ability of the paper clip. In other words, the paper clip is a good tool for the user to temporary hold the paper together, but it is not a secure way to put our important document together.The binder clip is commonly used in the modern office, and is also a simple device for binding a few to many sheets of paper. In the same way, it leaves the paper intact and can be quickly and easily removed. As compared to a paper clip, thebinder c</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:11:46 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069598/Binder-Unit---Patent-7670075Video Slide Projection Book - Patent 7670074http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069561/Video-Slide-Projection-Book---Patent-7670074<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069561/Video-Slide-Projection-Book---Patent-7670074 title="Video Slide Projection Book - Patent 7670074"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78069561.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>The present invention relates to a reading material source which projects video information onto a viewing surface. More specifically, the invention relates to a book with an attached projector to project video slide images while the book isbeing read.BACKGROUND INFORMATIONTeaching people to read, especially children, fosters greater literacy and knowledge among the general populous. Getting children to read, unfortunately, can be a laborious task. Many reading materials are unattractive to the eye and do notfoster imagination among the potential reader. The less than appealing designs of reading materials often result in an apathetic reader or avoidance of reading altogether.To encourage reading, some reading materials have attractive and/or fanciful color designs or pictures to entice the reader. Often, however, these materials are located only on the exterior cover of the materials causing the reader to loseinterest on the interior pages. Reading materials with pictures or design work on the interior pages are common but have inherent problems in themselves. These problems include expensive printing costs, and thick volume size due to the increased numberof pages due to the artwork.Common reading materials also have another significant drawback. For the material to be seen, a proper viewing perspective must be maintained by the reader (i.e. the book must be in front of the reader.) A young child must often crowd next to anadult to view the text and/or artwork in the book. If multiple children are present, viewing can become even more restrained as each child tries to obtain a proper perspective of the book. The reader must often stop and show the pages to the children,slowing the pace of the story, and affecting interest in the work for all involved. In large families or in classroom situations, the problems presented are self-evident.Children retelling a previously read story is also a significant part of the reading experience. The retelling of the</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:10:43 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78069561/Video-Slide-Projection-Book---Patent-7670074Binder And Binding Device - Patent 7665925http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049399/Binder-And-Binding-Device---Patent-7665925<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049399/Binder-And-Binding-Device---Patent-7665925 title="Binder And Binding Device - Patent 7665925"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78049399.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-129236 filed 30 Apr. 2002, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-029302 filed 6 Feb. 2003, which are hereby incorporated by reference inthe entirety.TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a binder for binding sheets of loose-leaf paper and to a binding apparatus for automatically fitting the binder to the sheets of loose-leaf paper.BACKGROUND ARTA plastic binder for binding sheets of loose-leaf paper and documents perforated with multiple-hole paper punchers (refer to JP-A-2000-289376, for example) are known. A binder of the sort mentioned above will be described briefly herein below. FIGS. 20, 21 and 22 show a conventional binder 1 with a number of 1/2 ring parts 3 and 4 arranged at constant intervals on both side edges of spine portions 2, which are respectively formed into double-split hinges by monolithic molding. As shown in thedrawings above, a projection 5 is formed at the tip of each 1/2 ring part 3 in the upper line and has a bulged tip, whereas a depression 6 corresponding in configuration to the bulged tip of the projection 5 is formed in the tip of each 1/2 ring part 4in the lower line so that the upper and lower 1/2 ring parts 3 and 4 can be engaged together by press-fitting the projection 5 into the depression 6. When sheets of loose-leaf paper are bound with the binder 1, the 1/2 ring parts 3 lined up on one sideor the 1/2 ring parts 4 lined up on the other are passed through the holes of the paper and the two lines of 1/2 ring parts 3 and 4 are closed up manually. As the projections 5 of the 1/2 ring parts 3 are engaged with the depressions 6 of the 1/2 ringparts 4 to form rings, the sheets of loose-leaf paper are bound up.Heretofore, the work of binding documents with a binder has been done manually and it takes much labor to follow the steps of passing many 1/2 ring parts through the holes of paper and closing the two lines of 1/</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:25:44 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049399/Binder-And-Binding-Device---Patent-7665925Back Plate And File Cover For Ring Binder - Patent 7665924http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049401/Back-Plate-And-File-Cover-For-Ring-Binder---Patent-7665924<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049401/Back-Plate-And-File-Cover-For-Ring-Binder---Patent-7665924 title="Back Plate And File Cover For Ring Binder - Patent 7665924"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78049401.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>The invention relates to a filing tool, and more particularly to a back plate and a file cover detachable from a ring binder.BACKGROUND ARTAs a filing tool for binding documents punched by a multi-hole punching device or commercially available loose leaf sheets, there has been conventionally and widely used a filing binder in which metal or resin foldable ring binder is fixed to aninside of a spine surface of a file cover with a front surface, the spine surface and a rear surface.Further, there are various shapes of single-body ring binders with no file covers. Among the single-body ring binders, there is a ring binder having comb-like resin strips in a planar shape which are bent cylindrically so that comb teeth arering-shaped (for example, JP-A-2001-018571). If the cylindrical ring binder is expanded, a large number of comb teeth are inserted into punched holes of a sheet(s), respectively and thereafter expansion is cancelled, so that the ring binder is restoredto the cylindrical shape, thereby binding the sheets.Further, as ring binders permitting easier mounting, there is a resin ring binder in which 1/2 ring portions are arranged on both sides of a slender spine portion, and the 1/2 ring portions constituting pairs across the spine portion are closedin a ring shape so that their tips are fit to each other, thereby binding the sheets (JP-A-2000-289376), and a resin ring binder in which the ring portion is divided into three parts (e.g. JP-A-2003-320779).The resin ring binder with no the file cover is light in weight and large in the sheet spreading angle so that it is a simple and convenient filing tool. However, since it is not accompanied by the spine surface, when the booklets bound with thering binder are arranged or stacked on a bookshelf, the filing name of each booklet is difficult to know, and the entire booklet is likely to warp. For the reason, in order to bind the document with high importance or frequent use, the binder equippedwith the file cove</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:25:44 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049401/Back-Plate-And-File-Cover-For-Ring-Binder---Patent-7665924Ring Mechanism With Spring Biased Travel Bar - Patent 7665926http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049387/Ring-Mechanism-With-Spring-Biased-Travel-Bar---Patent-7665926<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049387/Ring-Mechanism-With-Spring-Biased-Travel-Bar---Patent-7665926 title="Ring Mechanism With Spring Biased Travel Bar - Patent 7665926"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78049387.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>This invention relates generally to a ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages and more particularly to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.A ring mechanism typically retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. A pair of hinge plates are supported within a housing in joined relation for loose pivoting motion relative to the housing. The housing isgenerally narrower than the joined hinge plates when they are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through the coplanar position, they deform the housing and cause a spring force that urges them to pivot either upward ordownward. Ring members mounted on the hinge plates move with the pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The ring members open when the hinge plates pivot upward and close when the hinge plates pivot downward.Some ring mechanisms include structure such as, for example, control slides located between the housings and the hinge plates to lock the ring members together when they close. The control slides engage upper surfaces of the hinge plates andblock the hinge plates from pivoting upward when it is desired to hold the closed ring members together. The control slides move to a position allowing the hinge plates to pivot freely when it is desired to open the ring members. These mechanisms canbe difficult to make, however, because the control slides are generally installed within the housings before the hinge plates. Consequently, proper positioning of the control slides relative to the hinge plates can be difficult. Additionally, thecontrol slides may have a complex shape to interact with the hinge plates. This can increase production costs of ring mechanisms incorporating these control slides.Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a ring mechanism that is easy to make and includes a simplified travel bar.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA ring mechanism for retainin</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:25:29 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78049387/Ring-Mechanism-With-Spring-Biased-Travel-Bar---Patent-7665926Soft Close Ring Binder Mechanism With Reinforced Travel Bar - Patent 7661898http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028591/Soft-Close-Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Reinforced-Travel-Bar---Patent-7661898<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028591/Soft-Close-Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Reinforced-Travel-Bar---Patent-7661898 title="Soft Close Ring Binder Mechanism With Reinforced Travel Bar - Patent 7661898"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78028591.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular it relates to an improved mechanism for reducing snapping motion of ring members as they close and for securely locking closed ring memberstogether.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to addor remove papers, or selectively closing to retain papers and allow them to move along the rings. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housingloosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through thisposition, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing, urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, this spring forceresists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing themtogether. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position to open or close the ring members (in addition to manually pulling the ringmembers apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched betwe</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:50:24 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028591/Soft-Close-Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Reinforced-Travel-Bar---Patent-7661898Lever For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7661899http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028530/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7661899<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028530/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7661899 title="Lever For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7661899"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78028530.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing.The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on one or both endsof the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. But a drawback to these known ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members are closed, they do not positively lock together. So if the mechanism is accidentallydropped, the ring members may unintentionally open.Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. The blocking structure positively locks t</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:49:07 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028530/Lever-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7661899Binder - Patent 7661900http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028523/Binder---Patent-7661900<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028523/Binder---Patent-7661900 title="Binder - Patent 7661900"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/78028523.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 26, 2011<p>The present invention relates to binders, and more specifically to one or more binders that can be part a case.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the past, binder arrangements consisted of a pair of covers each joined to a spine by a hinge with at least one binder, such as a three ring binder, attached to an inside surface of one of the covers. In previous binder arrangements, thehinge was a conventional hinge that is a separate component that attaches to the spine and one of the covers. Unfortunately, use of a separate hinge is not only more costly to produce, but it also increases assembly costs because it requires moreassembly steps. More recently, living hinges formed by a break or weakness in a board of one-piece construction have been used to break the board up into a pair of covers and a spine. However, such a hinge only permits the cover to bend relative to thespine along a single line. Where the storage volume of the binder is at or greater than the storage capacity of the binder, closing the binder becomes more difficult. In fact, repeated closings of an overfilled binder can create a crease elsewhere inone or both binder covers. Over time, such a crease can develop into a crack that leads to premature failure of the binder cover, ultimately requiring replacement of the binder.Binders often include a hold down cover whose function is to help hold down the contents being held by the binder to keep the contents of the binder more organized. Unfortunately, hold down pages typically are themselves not tied down orotherwise anchored, making them largely ineffective. In addition, hold down pages often warp, curl or become bent over time because of this. As a result, hold down pages are often a nuisance and many times are discarded.Binder arrangements can be packaged in the configuration of a case that can be opened using a zipper that has one end attached to the spine. Unfortunately, over time, repeated openings and closings of the zipper can tear the end</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:48:52 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/78028523/Binder---Patent-7661900Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Download as PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/77022168/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/77022168/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDF title="Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Download as PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/77022168.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, April 18, 2011<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking ring members together.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to addor remove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. Thehousing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180). So as the hinge plates pivot through thisposition, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring forceresists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing themtogether. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position to open or close the ring members (in addition to manually pulling the ringmembers apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The substan</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:03:19 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/77022168/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-as-PDFIntermediate Connector For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7878729http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76922175/Intermediate-Connector-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7878729<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76922175/Intermediate-Connector-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7878729 title="Intermediate Connector For A Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7878729"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76922175.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, April 17, 2011<p>This invention relates to binders for holding loose leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing binders.A ring binder retains loose leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It features ring members for retaining the papers which may be selectively opened to add or remove papers, or closed to retain papers while allowing themto be moved along the ring members. Levers are typically provided on both ends of the binder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions.One drawback to ring binders of the prior art is that when ring members are being closed, they snap shut with a strong magnitude of force which can cause injury. When ring members are fully closed, that strong clamping force is necessary tosecurely lock the binder and prevent its unintentional opening. Unfortunately, that magnitude of force is also applied to the ring members while they are being opened or closed, causing difficulty in opening and closing the ring members, as well as thehazardous snapping action. Further, the clamping force within each ring is not uniform with the clamping force in other rings, causing uneven movement and potentially resulting in gaps on closed rings.Another drawback to ring binders of the prior art is that mounting posts securing the binder to a cover often interfere with operation of components of the binder. For example, some binders have control slides operatively connected to levers formovement of the control slide lengthwise of the binder to open and close ring members. The control slides, however, must be specially formed to receive the mounting post through the control slides in order to operate. Manufacturing ring binders withthese control slides can be time consuming and costly.Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a ring binder in which a control slide is operatively connected to a lever by a connector capable of transmitting force from the lever to the control slide aroun</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:29:36 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76922175/Intermediate-Connector-For-A-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7878729Binding Device - Patent 7874758http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76898347/Binding-Device---Patent-7874758<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76898347/Binding-Device---Patent-7874758 title="Binding Device - Patent 7874758"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76898347.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, April 17, 2011<p>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a binding device, and particular to a binding device for holding together sheets of paper or other objects and binding them into a file. 2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 33 shows one example of a conventional binding device. The binding device 1 includes a board 2 and a bearing plate 3 provided upright at one widthwise side of the board 2. An operation lever 4 is pivotally attached to the bearing plate 3 so that it is rotatable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the board 2. Furthermore, a pressing plate 5 is provided, which is movable towards and away from the board 2 in response to the rotation of the operation lever 4. A spring member 6 is provided between the pressing plate 5 and the operation lever 4 for biasing the pressing plate 5 toward the board 2 when the operation lever 4 is operated. Cranks 7 are attached on both sides of this spring member 6. Thecranks 7 are bridged between the bearing plate 3 and the pressing plate 5 so that the pressing plate 5 is substantially parallel to the board 2 when it is close to and separated from the board 2. The pressing plate 5 has an inverted U-shape cross section to hold down the objects to be bound, such as paper, with both of its widthwise ends. With this binding device 1, by operating the operation lever 4, the pressing plate 5 is displaced toward the board 2 as it moves along the bearing plate 3 so that the objects to be bound, such as paper, are held and secured therebetween. However, one problem with this binding device 1 is that, since the pressing plate 5 moves along the bearing plate 3, it moves along one end of the objects to be bound, such as paper, which makes it difficult to set the objects to be bound, suchas paper, in a binding position. To solve this problem, another binding device shown in FIG. 34 was devised. This binding device 8 does not include any cranks, and the pressing plate 5 is rotatably attached to a rotation</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:58:23 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76898347/Binding-Device---Patent-7874758Disposable Clip For Coupling Binding Elements And Combination Of Binding Elements With Disposable Coupling Clip - Patent 7837405http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76589682/Disposable-Clip-For-Coupling-Binding-Elements-And-Combination-Of-Binding-Elements-With-Disposable-Coupling-Clip---Patent-7837405<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76589682/Disposable-Clip-For-Coupling-Binding-Elements-And-Combination-Of-Binding-Elements-With-Disposable-Coupling-Clip---Patent-7837405 title="Disposable Clip For Coupling Binding Elements And Combination Of Binding Elements With Disposable Coupling Clip - Patent 7837405"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76589682.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, April 14, 2011<p>The present invention relates to binding elements for holding a plurality of perforated sheets or the like, and more specifically the invention pertains to structure for coupling binding elements for use in automated binding processes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious types of binding elements have been utilized to bind a stack of perforated sheets or the like. Binding elements typically include a spine from which a plurality of fingers extends which may be assembled through perforations in a stack ofsheets. This spine may be linear, with or without a longitudinally extending hinge. Alternately, the spine may be formed by sequential bending of a wire, as with wire comb or hanger type binding elements.Examples of such binding elements which are of a wire comb or hanger-type design are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,112,389 to Trussell and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,370 and 4,873,858 to Jones, while machines for assembling suchbinders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,585 to Adams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,856 to Archer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,117 to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,890 to Flatt, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,489 to Bagroky. Other binding devices aredisclosed, for example, in the following references: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,089,881 and 2,363,848 to Emmer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,435,848 to Schade, U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,451 to Liebman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,970 to Heusenkveld, U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,103 to Im,U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,159 to Amrich et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,013, Reexamination Certificate B1 4,369,013 and Re. 28,202 to Abildgaard et al. Machines for assembling plastic comb or finger binding elements are disclosed in patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,399 to Scharer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,211 to Vercillo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,859 to Nanos et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,312 to Hotkowski et al. The patents are included herein by reference.Due to the structure of such binding devices, which include elongated spines and fingers,</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:25:51 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76589682/Disposable-Clip-For-Coupling-Binding-Elements-And-Combination-Of-Binding-Elements-With-Disposable-Coupling-Clip---Patent-7837405Travel Bar For Use With A Ring Mechanism - Patent 7828491http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76520255/Travel-Bar-For-Use-With-A-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7828491<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76520255/Travel-Bar-For-Use-With-A-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7828491 title="Travel Bar For Use With A Ring Mechanism - Patent 7828491"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76520255.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, April 13, 2011<p>This invention relates generally to a ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages and, more particularly, to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.A ring mechanism typically retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. A pair of hinge plates are supported within a housing in joined relation for loose pivoting motion relative to the housing. The housing isgenerally narrower than the joined hinge plates when they are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through the coplanar position, they deform the housing and cause a spring force that urges them to pivot either upward ordownward. Ring members mounted on the hinge plates move with the pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The ring members open when the hinge plates pivot upward and close when the hinge plates pivot downward.Some ring mechanisms include structure (e.g., control slides) located between the housings and the hinge plates to lock the ring members together when they close. The control slides engage upper surfaces of the hinge plates and block the hingeplates from pivoting upward when it is desired to hold the closed ring members together. The control slides move out of engagement with the hinge plates and allow the hinge plates to pivot freely when it is desired to open the ring members. Thesecontrol slides, however, may have complex shapes or unique parts in order to allow them to interact with the hinge plates to block or allow the pivoting movement of the hinge plates. Therefore, they may be harder to fabricate or may require multiplecomponents for proper operation (e.g., a travel bar and separate blocking elements). Thus, ring mechanisms incorporating these known control slides can be time consuming and costly to produce.Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a ring mechanism that is easy to make and that includes a simplified travel bar.SUMMARY OF THE INV</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:59:35 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76520255/Travel-Bar-For-Use-With-A-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7828491Ring Binder Mechanism - Get as PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76386561/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Get-as-PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76386561/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Get-as-PDF title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Get as PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76386561.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, April 13, 2011<p>FIELD OF INVENTIONThis invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for moving ring members of the binder mechanism between their open and closed position.BACKGROUNDA ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. A housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge plates together so theymay pivot relative to the housing. The housing generally has a central portion and lateral sides extending downwardly from the central portion along both sides. The hinge plates are disposed between the lateral sides of the housing, which retain thehinge plates in the housing.When the rings are closed, it is desirable to bias the ring members to remain in their closed position. Even slight movement of the ring members toward their open position threatens unintentional release of loose-leaf pages. Slight movement ofthe ring members toward their open position also presents a risk that the pages will get caught on the tips of the ring members and rip as the pages are moved along the rings from one ring member to the other. Thus, the ring members are typically biasedtoward their closed position by a spring or other mechanism that applies a clamping force that holds the ring members together when they are in their closed position. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring membersapart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on one or both ends of the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed position.SUMMARYIn one aspect of the invention a ring binder mechanism for ho</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:25:51 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76386561/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Get-as-PDFDocument Binding System - Patent 7806617http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76198109/Document-Binding-System---Patent-7806617<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76198109/Document-Binding-System---Patent-7806617 title="Document Binding System - Patent 7806617"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76198109.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, April 12, 2011<p>Not applicable to this application.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable to this application.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates generally to document binders and more specifically it relates to a document binding system for efficiently securing a plurality of documents together in a professional manner.2. Description of the Related ArtAny discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.Document binders have been in use for years. Typically, document binders may be comprised of various configurations, such as but not limited to binder clips, staples, paper clips, folders, metal clips, three-ring binders and various others. Documents, as described in the present invention, include any paper, cloth, leather, photograph or other product that is desired to be secured to another document or stand alone. The document may include various markings, such as but not limited towritten/typed text, sketches, paintings and/or pictures.Common document binder mechanisms (i.e. staples, paper clips, metal clips, etc.) may not offer the professionalism in appearance that some businesses desire. The number of documents that the staples, paper clips, etc. can hold are also generallylimited. Other more permanent document binder mechanisms may require complicated hole punching, heating devices and trimming devices which can make the use of them unsatisfactory. Because of the general lack of efficiency and practicality in the priorart there is the need for a new and improved document binding system for efficiently securing a plurality of documents together in a professional manner.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe general purpose of the present invention is to provide a document binding system that has many of the advantages of the document binders menti</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:39:33 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76198109/Document-Binding-System---Patent-7806617Resilient Rod Feature In Hanging File Folder - Patent 7802938http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76172813/Resilient-Rod-Feature-In-Hanging-File-Folder---Patent-7802938<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/76172813/Resilient-Rod-Feature-In-Hanging-File-Folder---Patent-7802938 title="Resilient Rod Feature In Hanging File Folder - Patent 7802938"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/76172813.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, April 11, 2011<p>FIELD OFTHE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of systems for organizing documents, and more particularly to a modular filing system for holding documents in a binder.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSystems for organizing and holding documents are well-known and exist in many varieties. A common system for organizing documents is with a ring-type binder. These ring-type binders typically include a plurality of loose-leaf page retainingmembers positioned longitudinally between opposing ends of such binders. The page retaining members are configured to extend through corresponding apertures in the preferred loose-leaf elements thereby retaining the loose-leaf elements in the ring-typebinder.These retainers are usually spring-loaded, frequently, but not invariably circular (some rings are D-shaped, others are actually rods), and may or may not have additional latching systems. In some ring-type binders, the page retaining membersinclude two separable members which, then adjoined, form a loop for retaining loose-leaf elements. These separable page retaining members are configured to permit the user to insert loose-leaf elements in the binder and to remove or replace loose-leafelements retained therein.In other ring-type binders, the page retaining members do not separate in a manner which enables the user to insert or replace loose-leaf elements. These ring-type binders may take the form of a conventional spiral or other notebooks wherein theloose leafs are fixed therein using a continuous wire member configured in a helix or other manner so as to define a plurality of loose-leaf page retaining members.Binders come in many standard sizes with respect to both capacity and paper size. The most common type in the United States is a three ring system for letter size pages (81/2.times.11 in), whereas most other countries use a two or four holesystem for holding A4 sheets. The lever arch system is particularly useful for larger amounts of paper. Some pers</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:12:04 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/76172813/Resilient-Rod-Feature-In-Hanging-File-Folder---Patent-7802938Collapsible Ring Binder And Uses Thereof - Patent 7798737http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849665/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7798737<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849665/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7798737 title="Collapsible Ring Binder And Uses Thereof - Patent 7798737"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58849665.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 30, 2010<p>BACKGROUND1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to ring binders adapted to releasably hold together articles, such as documents (e.g., sheets of paper, card stock, scrapbook pages, etc.) and other articles (e.g., media storage pages, photograph storage pages,etc.) having one or more holes in locations corresponding to rings of the ring binder. More particularly, the present invention relates to binder mechanisms and collapsible ring binders with rings adapted to be disposed in either an uprightconfiguration for holding articles together or a collapsed configuration for flattening the binder.2. Description of Related ArtA ring binder is a device for holding together documents, such as sheets of paper, for storage, transport, etc. As known, conventional ring binders generally include a binder casing having a front cover, a rear cover and an interconnecting spine. The front cover and the rear cover are typically pivotal relative to the spine for providing book-like opening of the binder. The binder also includes a binder device, typically a tandem array of two to five rings, that are movable between an openconfiguration and a closed configuration. Documents to be attached to the binder are typically provided with a number of holes disposed along one side thereof, which number generally corresponds to the number of rings present in the binder device. Toattach documents to the ring binder, a user opens the rings and passes the rings through the documents' holes. Thereafter the binder device is returned to a closed configuration, thereby securely retaining the documents to the binder.Conventional ring binders occupy a large volume of space relative to the actual dimensions of the binder. The upright position of the rings of the binder device within the binder causes conventional binders to be thick even when empty,especially in the case of larger binders (e.g., binders with 3, 4, or more inch high rings). The thicknesses of the binders wastes spa</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:38:43 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849665/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7798737Media Binder Arrangements - Patent 7798736http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849581/Media-Binder-Arrangements---Patent-7798736<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849581/Media-Binder-Arrangements---Patent-7798736 title="Media Binder Arrangements - Patent 7798736"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58849581.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 30, 2010<p>The present invention relates to arrangements for binding physical media in a media binder and methods for making and using the same.BACKGROUNDImaging systems continue to experience technological advances resulting in increased popularity and use. Some of the technological advances include substantial improvements in digital image capture devices such as digital cameras, digital videocameras, and scanning devices in terms of quality, speed, and ease of use. Other advances include improvements in digital imaging devices such as inkjet printers, laser printers, and silver halide grade photo imaging apparatus in terms of resolution,quality, and ease of use. Further, as imaging system technology matures, lower costs may be realized, which may ease entry for average consumers purchasing imaging systems.With increased popularity and use, users of imaging systems have experienced a commensurate growth in the volume of images captured. And although these images may be conveniently stored in a memory storage device, at least some users will preferto store their images in a printed format. For those users, a convenient and easy-to-use binder may be desirable for storing physical media.Photo albums, scrapbooks, and the like are well-known in the art. Many schemes of securing media in such examples have been utilized. For example, some photo albums provide a number of sleeves for receiving photographs and other flat media. Scrapbooks may be configured with a "sticky" page to which a photo or memento may be attached and which may then be covered with an acetate sheet. In still other examples, fixed size sleeves, screw posts, and such clamping devices may be utilized tosecure photographs and other flat media.However, at least one problem with some clamping devices is the inability to readily align media. Thus, a user must typically pre-align photos and other flat media before clamping. Pre-alignment, however, is made more difficult when clampingforces make opening a cla</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:34:42 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58849581/Media-Binder-Arrangements---Patent-7798736Bookbinding Apparatus - Patent 7794169http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58808901/Bookbinding-Apparatus---Patent-7794169<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58808901/Bookbinding-Apparatus---Patent-7794169 title="Bookbinding Apparatus - Patent 7794169"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58808901.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 29, 2010<p>1. Technical FieldThe present invention--involving bookbinding apparatuses that collate sheets onto which images have been formed in an image-forming or like apparatus, and that bind them into books by applying adhesive to the spine part of blocks of the sheetsand binding them together with a cover sheet--relates to casing-in bookbinding apparatuses that join sheet blocks, onto the spine part of which glue has been applied, to the middle portion of a cover sheet, and spine-crease the cover sheet.2. Description of the Related ArtGenerally, this kind of bookbinding apparatus is used as a terminal device to an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, printing press, or the like. Widely used among such apparatuses are automated bookbinding systems that stackimage-bearing sheets in page order to collate them into blocks, then apply glue to an endface of a block and encase it with cover sheet. Also in wide use are bookbinding apparatuses that collate into sets printed sheets delivered from a dischargeoutlet, then encase the sets in cover sheets. A variety of systems have been proposed that print documents, and at the same time execute the bookbinding process that automatically binds and covers the documents to form a booklet. A recent particularexample is on-demand printing systems, known in electronic publishing.As an example of such a system, Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. No. 2004-209869 discloses an apparatus configuration that automatically finishes booklets of sheets received from an image forming apparatus. This patent publication also disclosesan adhesive application process wherein sheets received from an image forming apparatus discharge outlet are guided to a sheet conveyance path, and stacked substantially horizontally at a stacking tray disposed downstream in that path. The horizontallystacked sheet bundle is rotated substantially 90 degrees to be guided to an adhesive applicator apparatus. An apparatus that folds a cover sheet supplied from an in</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:07:04 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58808901/Bookbinding-Apparatus---Patent-7794169Daily Organizer - Patent 7780369http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590920/Daily-Organizer---Patent-7780369<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590920/Daily-Organizer---Patent-7780369 title="Daily Organizer - Patent 7780369"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58590920.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 27, 2010<p>This invention relates to daily organizers, and more particularly to a combination of calendar and organizer having several sections enabling a user to manage time and activities according to different topics.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPeople are required to manage many pieces of information in the course of a typical day, relating to appointments, errands, projects and responsibilities. In addition, a person has goals and other personal matters which need to be incorporatedinto the planning of one's day in order for them to be realized. Besides the recurring and/or ordinary pieces of information an individual must track and record (which can clutter a person's mind or workplace), it is necessary to make note of new andimportant ideas lest they be forgotten. In general, having to remember a great many pieces of information tends to make a person feel overwhelmed and therefore, less productive and creative.A number of personal organizers (often also called daily organizers or day planners) are available which provide specific places to write down goals, appointments, to-do lists, etc. The effectiveness of an organizer depends upon its ease of use,including its portability and the user's ability to put all needed information in one place, so that information may be accessed efficiently and in an organized manner.At present most paper-based personal organizers use individual sheets of paper held in ring binders or bound books, which do not allow for easy disposal of information no longer needed. Although the format of a binder allows the user to selectvarious topics for recording information, a binder often becomes a vehicle for dated information and an array of random notes. Similarly, bound books require the user to sort through old and unneeded information.Portable or pocket-sized organizers available today are suitable for carrying a limited amount of information, not all of which may be easily accessed. One such pocket-sized portfolio organizer is described</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:49:57 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590920/Daily-Organizer---Patent-7780369Environmentally Friendly Binding Of Calendars - Patent 7780370http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590779/Environmentally-Friendly-Binding-Of-Calendars---Patent-7780370<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590779/Environmentally-Friendly-Binding-Of-Calendars---Patent-7780370 title="Environmentally Friendly Binding Of Calendars - Patent 7780370"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58590779.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 27, 2010<p>This invention relates to binding of calendars in an environmentally friendly manner. More particularly it relates to an environmentally friendly calendar binder, a supply of such binders, a calendar having such a binder, a method of binding acalendar in an environmentally friendly manner and an apparatus for performing the method.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWall calendars and similar reference planners and charts are usually attached to a wall by means of a permanent fastener, e.g., a nail or picture hanger, or with an adhesive such as two-sided tape. The hanger mechanism is usually attached to thebinding that holds the pages of the calendar together. At the end of any month the calendar has to be changed to the next month. Then, at year end, the consumers are expected to throw the calendars away and buy new ones, making calendars disposableitems.Currently binding strips for calendars are manufactured from metal sheets or other rigid materials. These strips are then attached to the calendars to bind the calendar pages together. The calendar pages are typically some type of papermaterial. When the calendars are discarded at the end of the year and replaced with new calendars, the old calendars are thrown away with other garbage and then taken to land fills. The paper material typically making up the pages of the calendarbiodegrades very quickly compared to the binders that are made of metal or other materials that are either not biodegradable or biodegrade very slowly. Therefore, disposable calendars that are friendlier to the environment and biodegrade quickly areneeded.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention addresses this and other problems associated with the prior art and existing solutions by providing an environmentally friendly calendar assembly, that utilizes biodegradable materials in the calendar binding and hanger to allow forthe entire calendar to biodegrade quickly and not contribute to overflowing landfills or garbage disposal locations.The inve</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:48:48 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58590779/Environmentally-Friendly-Binding-Of-Calendars---Patent-7780370Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7762734http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58282619/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7762734<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58282619/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7762734 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7762734"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58282619.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 25, 2010<p>The present invention generally relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing them to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivotrelative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing andcause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ringmembers together.Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on both ends of thebinder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions.One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The substantialspring force required to keep the ring members closed also makes pivoting the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) difficult so that it is hard to both open an</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:47:38 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58282619/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7762734Binding Device For Files And Binders - Patent 7758272http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210737/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758272<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210737/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758272 title="Binding Device For Files And Binders - Patent 7758272"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58210737.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 24, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a binding device for holding objects to be bound, such as documents, in a file or a binder. In particular, the invention relates to a binding device for files and binders which is suitable for use as a bindingdevice for so-called A-Z files and which holds objects to be bound such as documents using rings that are opened and closed by a mechanism including a lever.2. Description of the Related ArtLever arch files called A-Z files are widely known as files configured such that objects to be bound, such as documents, are held in the files by passing rings through respective binding holes provided near an edge of the objects.Generally, a lever arch file includes a base and two rings which are firmly attached to the base and extend upwardly and which are inserted into respective holes provided in objects to be bound, such as documents. Each of the rings includes anarch portion and a pole-like portion for holding documents when the file is closed. Furthermore, a mechanism for holding the pole-like portion and the arch portion at a closed position is provided. At the closed position, each of the rings forms aclosed loop for holding objects to be bound, and therefore the uppermost page in the bound objects is allowed to slide along the rings, whereby the page therebelow can be read. The above-mentioned mechanism is operated by a lever to allow theabove-mentioned two portions to be separated away from each other, whereby objects to be bound can be added through the rings and removed from the rings. Moreover, the two portions of each of the rings can be joined again at the closed position byoperating the lever.A conventional lever arch file is disclosed in Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Application No. 2004-505806 (Patent Document 1).In conventional lever arch files, each of two rings to be inserted into binding holes in objects to be bound, such as paper sheets, includes an arch portion an</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:39:03 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210737/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758272Binding Device For Files And Binders - Patent 7758273http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210660/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758273<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210660/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758273 title="Binding Device For Files And Binders - Patent 7758273"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58210660.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 24, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a binding device for holding objects to be bound, such as documents, in a file or a binder. In particular, the invention relates to a binding device for files and binders which is suitable for use as a bindingdevice for so-called A-Z files and which holds objects to be bound such as documents using rings that are opened and closed by a mechanism including a lever.2. Description of the Related ArtLever arch files called A-Z files are widely known as files configured such that objects to be bound, such as documents, are held in the files by passing rings through respective binding holes provided near an edge of the objects.Generally, a lever arch file includes a base and two rings which are firmly attached to the base and extend upwardly and which are inserted into respective holes provided in objects to be bound, such as documents. Each of the rings includes anarch portion and a pole-like portion for holding documents when the file is closed. Furthermore, a mechanism for holding the pole-like portion and the arch portion at a closed position is provided. At the closed position, each of the rings forms aclosed loop for holding objects to be bound, and therefore the uppermost page in the bound objects is allowed to slide along the rings, whereby the page therebelow can be read. The above-mentioned mechanism is operated by a lever to allow theabove-mentioned two portions to be separated away from each other, whereby objects to be bound can be added through the rings and removed from the rings. Moreover, the two portions of each of the rings can be joined again at the closed position byoperating the lever.A conventional lever arch file is disclosed in Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Application No. 2004-505806 (Patent Document 1).In conventional lever arch files, each of two rings to be inserted into binding holes in objects to be bound, such as paper sheets, includes an arch portion an</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:37:04 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210660/Binding-Device-For-Files-And-Binders---Patent-7758273Ring Mechanism Biased To Closed And Locked Position - Patent 7758271http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210556/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7758271<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210556/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7758271 title="Ring Mechanism Biased To Closed And Locked Position - Patent 7758271"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58210556.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 24, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to add or removepages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housingloosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through thisposition, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, the spring forceresists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing themtogether. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism to move the hinge plates through the coplanar position.One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that a substantial housing spring force is required to hold the closed ring members together. When the ring members close, the housing spring force snaps the ring members together rapidlyand with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. In addition, the housing spri</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:34:39 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58210556/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7758271Ring Binder Mechanism With Dual Pivot Locking Elements - Patent 7748922http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58119639/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Dual-Pivot-Locking-Elements---Patent-7748922<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58119639/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Dual-Pivot-Locking-Elements---Patent-7748922 title="Ring Binder Mechanism With Dual Pivot Locking Elements - Patent 7748922"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58119639.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 23, 2010<p>CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONThis application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/870,168 filed Jun. 17, 2004, and entitled Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism, which is a non-provisional application of U.S. Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 60/553,231, filedMar. 15, 2004, and entitled Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for controlling opening and closing movement of rings, for reducing snapping force of closing rings, and for securelyholding closed rings in a locked position.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has rings formed by two ring members for retaining the pages. The rings may be selectively opened to add or remove pages to the rings orclosed to retain pages on the rings while allowing the pages to move along the rings. The ring members of each ring mount on two adjacent hinge plates. The hinge plates join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongate housing. The housing holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing and move the ring members between an open position and a closed position.The undeformed housing is narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in thehousing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position and move the ring members to either their open or closed position. This force is generally large to hold the hinge plates against unwanted separation or opening of the rings. As a result, when the hinge plates move through the co-planar position, they do so with a strong snapping movement. This snap</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 23 Oct 2010 07:48:43 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58119639/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Dual-Pivot-Locking-Elements---Patent-7748922Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7744300http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58071045/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7744300<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/58071045/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7744300 title="Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7744300"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/58071045.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 22, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking ring members together.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to addor remove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. Thehousing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivotthrough this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed thespring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart orpushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position to open or close the ring members (in addition to manuallypulling the ring members apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:16:09 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/58071045/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7744300Collapsible Ring Binder And Uses Thereof - Patent 7736081http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57965783/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7736081<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57965783/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7736081 title="Collapsible Ring Binder And Uses Thereof - Patent 7736081"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57965783.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 21, 2010<p>BACKGROUND1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to ring binders adapted to releasably hold together articles, such as documents (e.g., sheets of paper, card stock, scrapbook pages, etc.) and other articles (e.g., media storage pages, photograph storage pages,etc.) having one or more holes in locations corresponding to rings of the ring binder. More particularly, the present invention relates to binder mechanisms and collapsible ring binders with rings adapted to be disposed in either an uprightconfiguration for holding articles together or a collapsed configuration for flattening the binder.2. Description of Related ArtA ring binder is a device for holding together documents, such as sheets of paper, for storage, transport, etc. As known, conventional ring binders generally include a binder casing having a front cover, a rear cover and an interconnecting spine. The front cover and the rear cover are typically pivotal relative to the spine for providing book-like opening of the binder. The binder also includes a binder device, typically a tandem array of two to five rings, that are movable between an openconfiguration and a closed configuration. Documents to be attached to the binder are typically provided with a number of holes disposed along one side thereof, which number generally corresponds to the number of rings present in the binder device. Toattach documents to the ring binder, a user opens the rings and passes the rings through the documents' holes. Thereafter the binder device is returned to a closed configuration, thereby securely retaining the documents to the binder.Conventional ring binders occupy a large volume of space relative to the actual dimensions of the binder. The upright position of the rings of the binder device within the binder causes conventional binders to be thick even when empty,especially in the case of larger binders (e.g., binders with 3, 4, or more inch high rings). The thicknesses of the binders wastes spa</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 21 Oct 2010 02:58:30 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57965783/Collapsible-Ring-Binder-And-Uses-Thereof---Patent-7736081Ring Binder Mechanism Ring binder mechanism Ng et alhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863301/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Ring-binder-mechanism-Ng-et-al<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863301/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Ring-binder-mechanism-Ng-et-al title="Ring Binder Mechanism Ring binder mechanism Ng et al"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57863301.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 20, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing.The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on one or both endsof the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. But a drawback to these known ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members are closed, they do not positively lock together. So if the mechanism is accidentallydropped, the ring members may unintentionally open.Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. The blocking structure positively locks t</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:02:17 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863301/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Ring-binder-mechanism-Ng-et-alAdjustable Tab Divider - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863251/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863251/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDF title="Adjustable Tab Divider - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57863251.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 20, 2010<p>The invention is generally directed to dividers for three-ring binders and the like, and more particularly to dividers having adjustable tabs.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious techniques have been used to divide a stack of paper, such as a stack of paper held by a binder, into different sections. One conventional technique involves using divider pages having integrally formed tabs at fixed locations. Suchdivider pages are generally sold in sets with the tabs of the divider pages in a set being formed at different longitudinal locations along the edge of the divider page opposite the edge at which the dividers are bound. In a binder, the divider pagesare arranged so that each tab is visible (i.e., not obstructed by another tab). Further, dividers are generally arranged so that the first divider in a series has a tab located at one end of the divider edge, and each successive divider in the serieshas a tab offset by some increment.The fixed location of the tabs of such dividers leads to disadvantages. For example, the insertion, removal, and rearrangement of divider pages having integrally formed tabs may disrupt the orderly progression of the tabs in a binder, resultingin the obstruction of some tabs by other tabs and a generally disorganized appearance.To address the disadvantages that result from using fixed tabs, dividers with repositionable tabs have been developed. One divider having a repositionable tab is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,487 ("Ong"). The divider of Ong is rectangularin shape and includes an edge with holes to receive binder rings and an opposite edge having a plurality of parallel, uniformly spaced slots. The divider includes a tab, which may be provided with a label. The tab may be positioned between any twoneighboring slots by inserting ears of the tab into the neighboring slots. The tab may be removed and repositioned by removing the ears from one pair of neighboring slots and introducing the ears into a different pair having a</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:00:42 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57863251/Adjustable-Tab-Divider---PDFRing Binder Having A Clip - Patent 7654765http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843734/Ring-Binder-Having-A-Clip---Patent-7654765<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843734/Ring-Binder-Having-A-Clip---Patent-7654765 title="Ring Binder Having A Clip - Patent 7654765"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57843734.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 20, 2010<p>This invention relates to ring binders for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to a clip for attaching a ring binder mechanism to a cover to form the ring binder.Conventional ring binders are made by securing a ring binder mechanism to a cover using rivets. Commonly, ring binder mechanisms include a housing and a plurality of ring members attached to the housing for retaining loose-leaf pages, such ashole-punched pages. Typically, the ring binder mechanism is secured to the cover by inserting the rivets through the cover and openings in the ring binder mechanism. The tail of each of the rivets is then deformed (e.g., by punching) to engage andfasten the ring binder mechanism. Once assembled, the ring binder is packaged and shipped to a distributor, a retailer, or directly to an end user (i.e., consumer).One of the drawbacks of traditional ring binders relates to their shipping and storage after they are assembled. When assembled, large gaps exist between the ring binder mechanism and the cover for each ring binder leaving large amounts of roomunused during shipping and storing of multiple ring binders. Thus, the number of ring binders in each package is greatly limited. As a result, packaging and shipping conventional ring binders is inefficient which results in significant shipping andhandling costs. Moreover, even a limited number of ring binders occupy a substantial amount of storage space or retail display space.In response to this drawback, manufacturers of ring binders typically pack the mechanisms in alternating directions. But even this packing technique leaves large amounts of unused space. Further efforts to overcome some of the short comings ofconventional ring binders have been disclosed in co-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,811 to To et al., 5,879,097 to Cheng, and 5,160,209 to Schuessler, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, the present invention is directed to</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 20 Oct 2010 02:12:00 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843734/Ring-Binder-Having-A-Clip---Patent-7654765Ring Binder Mechanism Having Blocking Device - Patent 7654764http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843474/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Blocking-Device---Patent-7654764<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843474/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Blocking-Device---Patent-7654764 title="Ring Binder Mechanism Having Blocking Device - Patent 7654764"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57843474.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 20, 2010<p>This invention relates to ring binder mechanisms for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to a ring binder mechanism having a blocking device for inhibiting unintended opening of the ring binder mechanism.BACKGROUNDA ring binder mechanism includes ring members for retaining loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages while allowing the pagesto be moved along the ring members. Typically, the ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge plates together sothey may pivot relative to the housing.The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). As the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring forcein the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers can also be provided on one or both ends of the housing foractuating the ring members between the open and closed positions.A drawback to typical ring binder mechanism configurations is that when the ring members are closed, they do not inhibit unintended separating of the ring members, such as if the mechanism is accidentally dropped. There is a need, therefore, fora blocking device that is capable of blocking all of the ring members of a ring binder mechanism closed that is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to construct, easy to use, and re</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 20 Oct 2010 02:07:54 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57843474/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Blocking-Device---Patent-7654764Ring Binder Mechanism - Download Now PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57829888/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57829888/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDF title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Download Now PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57829888.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 19, 2010<p>BACKGROUNDThis invention relates generally to ring binder mechanisms (broadly referred to herein as a ring mechanism) for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to such a ring mechanism capable of opening and closing mating ring members and lockingthe ring members when closed.A ring mechanism is typically used to retain loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. Ring mechanisms commonly have mating ring members that may be selectively opened to add or remove pages, or closed together toretain pages while allowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent (e.g., side-by-side) hinge plates that join together along a hinge line to form a pivot axis about which the plates may pivot. An elongate,resilient housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge plates together so they may pivot relative to the housing.The housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). In this manner, as the hinge plates pivot through their coplanar position, they deform the resilient housing and causea spring force in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ringmembers together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers or other actuating systems mayalso be provided on one or both ends of the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. In some ring mechanisms, however, when the ring members are closed they do not positively lock in their closed position. As a result,if the mechanism is accidentally dropped, the ring members may unintentio</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:37:04 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57829888/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDFRing Binder Mechanism - Patent 7648302http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57771571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7648302<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57771571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7648302 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7648302"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57771571.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 19, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing.The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on one or both endsof the housing for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. But a drawback to these known ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members are closed, they do not positively lock together. So if the mechanism is accidentallydropped, the ring members may unintentionally open.Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. The blocking structure positively locks t</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:27:17 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57771571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7648302Refillable Notebook - Patent 7717638http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763666/Refillable-Notebook---Patent-7717638<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763666/Refillable-Notebook---Patent-7717638 title="Refillable Notebook - Patent 7717638"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57763666.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 19, 2010<p>BACKGROUNDMany notebooks, such as spiral bound or coil bound notebooks, include a set of papers, and optionally covers, which are bound together by the spiral or coil binding mechanism. The spiral or coil binding mechanism may allow the various sheets ofthe notebook to be folded three hundred and sixty degrees or nearly three hundred and sixty degrees around the binding mechanism such that the folded sheets can underlie the unfolded sheets lying thereabove.However, in most spiral bound or coil bound notebooks, papers cannot be removed from the notebook without tearing the papers. In addition, such spiral bound and coil bound notebooks do not easily allow a user to add papers thereto. Accordingly,there is a need for a notebook having a binding mechanism which allows sheets and other contents to be pivoted underneath overlying sheets, and which allows the sheets and other contents to be easily removed from, and added to, the notebook.SUMMARYIn one embodiment, the invention is a binding mechanism assembly for binding a sheet item. The binding mechanism assembly includes a backing member having an upper surface, and a binding member directly or indirectly coupled to the backingmember. The binding member includes a protrusion shaped and located to protrude through a hole of a sheet item to be bound thereto. The binding member further includes a generally flexible flange that is manually movable into engagement with theprotrusion to form a generally closed loop and thereby bind the sheet item thereto. The loop is rotatable relative to the backing member from a first position in which the loop is generally located above the upper surface to a second position wherein atleast part of the loop is located below the upper surface. The loop is fixedly and not slidably coupled to the backing member.In another embodiment the invention is a binding mechanism assembly for binding a plurality of sheet items. The binding mechanism assembly includes a generally flat, planar ba</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:27:43 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763666/Refillable-Notebook---Patent-7717638Binder - Patent 7717639http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763496/Binder---Patent-7717639<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763496/Binder---Patent-7717639 title="Binder - Patent 7717639"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57763496.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 19, 2010<p>FIELDAspects of the invention relate to binders for holding articles such as paper.DISCUSSION OF RELATED ARTBinders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. Labels may be viewable from the outside of the spine or cover(s) in order to identify the contents of the binder to a user.SUMMARYAccording to one aspect of the invention, a binder for retaining an item is provided. The binder includes a first and second panel with a spine connecting the first panel to the second panel. The spine defines a spine outer surface and acutout. The binder also includes a window substantially in the cutout that defines a window outer surface, where the window outer surface is substantially flush with the spine outer surface. The binder also comprises a first flexible tab connected tothe spine that extends at least partially in back of the window.According to another aspect of the invention, a binder for retaining an item is provided. The binder comprises a first and second panel, each having an outer surface. A spine connects the first panel to the second panel. The spine has an outersurface. A cutout is disposed in at least one of the first and second panels and the spine. The binder also has a window substantially placed in the cutout that defines a window outer surface, wherein the window outer surface is substantially flushwith the outer surface of at least one of the first and second panels and the spine.According to yet another aspect of the invention, a binder for retaining an item is provided. The binder comprises first and second panels and a spine connecting the first and second panels. A cutout is disposed in at least one of the first andsecond panels and the spine. The binder includes a first flexible tab connected to the at least one of the first and second panels and the spine. The tab extends into the cutout. The binder also includes a window placed substantially in the cutout andat least partially in front of th</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:24:33 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57763496/Binder---Patent-7717639Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7597498http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57726030/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7597498<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57726030/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7597498 title="Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7597498"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57726030.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 18, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for reducing a snapping motion of ring members as they close and for securely locking the closed ring members together. This invention further relates to an improved mechanism for easily opening and closing ring members that are filled with loose-leaf pages.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings, each including two ring members capable of selectively opening to add orremove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members generally mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis and pivot within an elongated housing. The housingis slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a tension spring force in the housing,urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position (180.degree.) either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, this spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move alever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) to open or close the ring members (in addition to manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them toget</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:56:04 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57726030/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7597498Binder Spine - Patent 7708487http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57683989/Binder-Spine---Patent-7708487<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57683989/Binder-Spine---Patent-7708487 title="Binder Spine - Patent 7708487"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57683989.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 18, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe invention relates in general to binder spines, and, more systems of binder spines.2. Description of the Prior ArtBinder spines have been proposed for holding loose papers together. The prior proposed expedients are not without their shortcomings. Major shortcomings of typical prior binder spines include, for example, complexity, cost, and difficulty ofuse. Previous expedients did not generally include the provision of a system of binders that provide increased utility to the user yet permit the manufacturer to readily supply a system including a plurality of binder spines with different capacities.Previously proposed expedients include, for example, Wu US Des. 360,221, Exline U.S. Pat. No. 0,847,389 (check book binder with spring loaded engagement of securing posts with deformed tubes), McKowen U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,264 (a binding forbooks composed of a molded one-piece binding unit with living hinges, binding posts, and a port in which a mushroom head of the binding post engages), Cott U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,472 (a molded one-piece binder for perforated loose leaf sheets wherein aheaded post is inserted into an open sided groove to hold the binder in a closed configuration), Errichiello U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,972 (a molded one-piece loose leaf book with plastic posts wherein a headed post frictionally engages a tubular post), JahnU.S. Pat. No. 4,340,316 (a binder in which a barb headed post engages an open sided slot), Chin U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,469 (a binding bar for a cover folder in which the edges of the binder bar engage barbs in the cover), and Jahn U.S. Pat. No.6,076,990 (a one-piece binder wherein a barb headed post engages and open sided slot).Those concerned with these problems recognize the need for an improved binder spine.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has been developed in response to the current state of the art, and in particular, in response to these and other problems and needs that have</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:09:53 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57683989/Binder-Spine---Patent-7708487Ring Binder - Patent 7637682http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57676177/Ring-Binder---Patent-7637682<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57676177/Ring-Binder---Patent-7637682 title="Ring Binder - Patent 7637682"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57676177.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 18, 2010<p>REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATIONThis application claims priority to China application No. 200710148944.3, filed on Sep. 12, 2007.TECHNICAL FIELDThe invention relates to a ring binder for retaining hole-punched pages.BACKGROUND ARTAs is known in the art, a typical ring binder retains loose leaf pages or document papers with hole-punched edges in a file or a notebook. The ring binder generally comprises an elongated housing, a pair of pivotable hinge plates located in thehousing and clamped together by the housing, and half ring members fixed to the hinge plates. The housing is relatively highly rigid, but still has certain elasticity so that it can be slightly expanded in a transverse direction by the hinge plates. The hinge plates abut against each other at their inner edges and engage with transversely bent-in edges of the housing at their outer edges. The hinge plates are thus hinged to each other so that they can pivot relative to each other within a certainangle. Each of the hinge plates is fixed with the same number of half ring members at longitudinal locations corresponding to the holes punched along one edge of each of the stacked pages. The half ring members are closed or opened as the hinge platespivoting. When closed, opposite half ring members provided at the same longitudinal locations on the two hinge plates respectively abut against each other by their tip ends, forming a complete ring for retaining loose-leaf pages. When opened, the tipends of the opposite half ring members are separated from each other to form an opening therebetween through which loose-leaf pages can be taken out or loaded into the binder. The rings formed by the half ring members in a traditional binder typicallyhave circular, arc, rectangular or other shapes. When the rings have circular, arc or other curved main bodies, the hole-punched edges of the retained pages will follow the curved shape of the half ring members. Thus, the hole-punched edges of thepages cannot alig</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 18 Oct 2010 01:55:31 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57676177/Ring-Binder---Patent-7637682Ring Mechanism Having Locking Element Operatively Connected To Lever - Patent 7704005http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651500/Ring-Mechanism-Having-Locking-Element-Operatively-Connected-To-Lever---Patent-7704005<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651500/Ring-Mechanism-Having-Locking-Element-Operatively-Connected-To-Lever---Patent-7704005 title="Ring Mechanism Having Locking Element Operatively Connected To Lever - Patent 7704005"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57651500.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 17, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing the pages to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis. An elongate housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge platestogether so they may pivot relative to the housing.The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180 degrees). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a springforce in the housing that urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring memberstogether. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. A pivoting lever is often provided on one or both ends of the housing for engaging the hinge plates and moving them through the coplanar position to open and closethe ring members. An example is shown in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,247 (Yu).In many ring mechanisms, the lever is not secure when the ring members are in the open and/or closed position. There may be "play" in the lever producing an unstable feeling in the mechanism. This "play" is often due to variances inmanufacturing mechanisms so that the levers disengage the hinge plates when the ring members are in the open and/or closed positions. It would be desirable to provide a more stable ring mechanism in which the lever is in co</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:43:23 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651500/Ring-Mechanism-Having-Locking-Element-Operatively-Connected-To-Lever---Patent-7704005Binder With Internal Expandable File - Patent 7704006http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651484/Binder-With-Internal-Expandable-File---Patent-7704006<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651484/Binder-With-Internal-Expandable-File---Patent-7704006 title="Binder With Internal Expandable File - Patent 7704006"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57651484.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 17, 2010<p>The present invention relates to binders, and more specifically to one or more binders that can be part a case.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the past, binder arrangements consisted of a pair of covers each joined to a spine by a hinge with at least one binder, such as a three ring binder, attached to an inside surface of one of the covers. In previous binder arrangements, thehinge was a conventional hinge that is a separate component that attaches to the spine and one of the covers. Unfortunately, use of a separate hinge is not only more costly to produce, but it also increases assembly costs because it requires moreassembly steps. More recently, living hinges formed by a break or weakness in a board of one-piece construction have been used to break the board up into a pair of covers and a spine. However, such a hinge only permits the cover to bend relative to thespine along a single line. Where the storage volume of the binder is at or greater than the storage capacity of the binder, closing the binder becomes more difficult. In fact, repeated closings of an overfilled binder can create a crease elsewhere inone or both binder covers. Over time, such a crease can develop into a crack that leads to premature failure of the binder cover, ultimately requiring replacement of the binder.Binders often include a hold down cover whose function is to help hold down the contents being held by the binder to keep the contents of the binder more organized. Unfortunately, hold down pages typically are themselves not tied down orotherwise anchored, making them largely ineffective. In addition, hold down pages often warp, curl or become bent over time because of this. As a result, hold down pages are often a nuisance and many times are discarded.Binder arrangements can be packaged in the configuration of a case that can be opened using a zipper that has one end attached to the spine. Unfortunately, over time, repeated openings and closings of the zipper can tear the end</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:43:09 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57651484/Binder-With-Internal-Expandable-File---Patent-7704006Binder For Filing Tool - Patent 7575388http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57548824/Binder-For-Filing-Tool---Patent-7575388<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57548824/Binder-For-Filing-Tool---Patent-7575388 title="Binder For Filing Tool - Patent 7575388"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57548824.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 16, 2010<p>The present invention relates to a file and, more particularly, a file which is a binder for facilitating the attachment and removal of a sheet having binding holes, wherein binding of the holes as well as disassembly into respective parts arefacilitated.BACKGROUND ARTAs conventional files, for example, a file which has a binding string coated with synthetic resin with flexibility but little expandability and a double row of ribbing erected on the upper surface of a band-shaped board (Japanese Utility ModelLaid-Open Publication No. 62-162070), a file comprising a box unit with a cut out for drawers and a bottom plate having a receiving part for fitting, a pressing tool with a U-shaped cross-section, and a stopper tool with a protrusion part for fittingwhich is fitted onto the receiving part for fitting of the box unit (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 54-151420), and a file composed of a file front cover, and a band-shaped component comprising a locking part and a locked part (JapaneseUtility Model Laid-Open Publication 60-192696), for example, are proposed as conventional files.All of these proposals comprise conventional filing functions, and considerations towards response to environmental protection are partially made.Although Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 62-162070 is advantageous in that there are few number of parts, metal parts are not required, and the construction is simple, because there are two binding string holes for holding thefile, the load applied to each hole is large, the sheet cannot be secured stably, and it may be insufficient in terms of function when a sheet such as a clear file is attached.In addition, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 54-151420 does not require metal parts, comprises a plurality of holes in terms of functionality, and therefore, sheets and the like can be held steadily. On the other hand, as thenumber of parts increase, attachment and removal becomes less than easy, and its</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:54:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57548824/Binder-For-Filing-Tool---Patent-7575388Document Binder Assembly - Patent 7568853http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57490540/Document-Binder-Assembly---Patent-7568853<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57490540/Document-Binder-Assembly---Patent-7568853 title="Document Binder Assembly - Patent 7568853"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57490540.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 15, 2010<p>The present invention generally relates to apparatuses and methods for binding documents. Such documents can include, but are not limited to, reports, analyses, proposals, marketing materials, brochures, manuals, guides, prospectus, booklets,and other such items.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONOrganizations often require documents in the course of their businesses for a variety of reasons. As mentioned above, these documents may be in the form of reports, analyses, proposals, marketing materials, brochures, manuals, guides,prospectus, booklets, and other items. Often, in such contexts, documents are required in limited quantities. In addition, the document content is often dynamic over the course of its preparation, and thus may evolve as numerous versions or drafts upuntil the point of releasing the final document for use by its intended recipients. For example, in the context of commercial bidding, there is often a significant need for flexibility in terms of the content of the document given the dynamic nature ofnegotiations. In addition, in the commercial bidding context, there is often a significant need for rapid production and binding of documents, generally within a very limited time, to avoid unduly protracting negotiations, which may in effect lead tolost opportunities. In normal negotiated or interactive contexts, only a few minutes to a few days may mean the difference as to whether a negotiation or bid is successfully concluded. But despite severe time constraints, it will be advantageous if thedocuments to be presented or distributed possess very professional appearance and be of as high quality as possible. Oftentimes, in addition to the document substance, the exterior appearance of the document may itself have a significant influence onthe document recipients' final decision. For example, a decision maker may be so constrained by time that that person can only pick and read a few from a large number of competing documents. This person's select</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:13:38 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57490540/Document-Binder-Assembly---Patent-7568853Receiving Bag Held By A Hook-type Folder - Patent 7614815http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57484675/Receiving-Bag-Held-By-A-Hook-type-Folder---Patent-7614815<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57484675/Receiving-Bag-Held-By-A-Hook-type-Folder---Patent-7614815 title="Receiving Bag Held By A Hook-type Folder - Patent 7614815"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57484675.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 15, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention is related to a receiving bag held by a hook-type folder, especially a receiving bag having at least one notch.2. Description of Related ArtMany people often use a folder to receive and classify documents, newspapers or magazines. Please refer to FIG. 1, illustrating a hook-type folder 10. The hook-type folder 10 comprises a main board 11, and right and left sides of the main board11 are respectively connected with a side board 12. The two side boards 12 can pivot around the main board 11. Two fixing devices 13 are respectively fixed at two ends of the main board 11. A plurality of hooks 14 are mounted on every fixing device13. The hook 14 has a base portion 141 which is positioned at the fixing device 13. A connecting portion 142 is extended from an upper end of the hook 14 forwardly. A hook portion 143 extends from an end of the connecting portion 142 toward an innerof the main board 11. A clearance is formed between the hook portion 143 and the fixing device 13.Please refer to FIG. 2. User can open a magazine 15, and then put pages of the magazine 15 on the clearance between the hook portion 143 and the fixing device 13. The magazine 15 is clipped by the hook portion 143 and the fixing device 13. Themagazine 15 doesn't drop from the main board 11. The magazine 15 can be hooked on the main board 11 of the hook-type folder 10.Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 3A. People can use the hook-type folder 10 to receive documents or papers. Firstly a user can put documents or papers into a receiving bag 16. The receiving bag 16 is oblong. An upper side of the receiving bag16 has an opening 161 and a under side of the receiving bag 16 has another opening 162 near a corner of the receiving bag 16. And then users respectively can put the two sides of the receiving bag 16 into the two clearances between the hook portions 143and the fixing devices 13 via the two openings 161, 162. The hook portions 143 enter into</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:29:19 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57484675/Receiving-Bag-Held-By-A-Hook-type-Folder---Patent-7614815Easy Open Ring Binder - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57477676/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57477676/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---PDF title="Easy Open Ring Binder - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57477676.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 15, 2010<p>STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSOREDRESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTN/ABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to ring binders for holding paper and the like, and more particularly, a ring binder which is easier to open than conventional ring binders.Conventional ring binders employ a pair of thumb or finger operated trigger mechanisms, one located at each end of a "metal". The metal includes two or more binder rings connected to a lever movable by the trigger mechanism to open and close thebinder. Heretofore, the force required to operate the trigger has been relatively substantial. One reason for this is that the metal is designed to not inadvertently open if a binder is, for example, dropped. Accordingly, conventional metals have beendesigned to withstand a reasonable amount of force and remain closed. While these metals have functioned well for their intended purpose, it has recently been recognized that it would be advantageous to employ a metal which, while it stays closed whendropped or otherwise mishandled, requires substantially less force by a user to open it when the user desires to open the binder.Various approaches to easy open type ring metals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,357, and published U.S. patent applications 2005/0013654, 2003/0103798, and 2003/0103797. However, the structures shown and described therein are morecomplex and costly than the invention described herein.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to an easy-open ring metal for a binder holding hole punched sheets of paper or the like. The metal includes two or more binder rings each of which comprises two curved ring segments one end of each of which isattached to a hinge plate. The other ends of the respective ring segments mate with each other when the binder is closed, but are separated from each other when the plates are moved to open the binder. A movable bar extends from one end of the metal tothe other and contacts the hinge plates</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:26:11 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57477676/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---PDFSlidable Binding Mechanism - Patent 7607853http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57389500/Slidable-Binding-Mechanism---Patent-7607853<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57389500/Slidable-Binding-Mechanism---Patent-7607853 title="Slidable Binding Mechanism - Patent 7607853"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57389500.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>The present invention is directed to a binding mechanism, and more particularly, to a bindingmechanism having support portions which are slidable or movable relative to each other.BACKGROUNDBinding mechanisms are widely used in binders, notebooks, folders and the like to bind loose leaf papers and other components together. Three-ring binding mechanisms typically include a set of three rings which are selectively openable andclosable to allow papers to be easily inserted into, and removed from, the binding mechanism. However, existing three-ring binding mechanisms may be difficult to operate, expensive to manufacture and may lack robustness. Furthermore, many existing ringbinding mechanisms do not provide positive feedback regarding the open and/or closed nature of the binding mechanism. Finally, many existing ring binding mechanism are spring loaded which can be difficult to operate and can pinch a user's fingers whenclosed. Accordingly, there is a need for a robust binding mechanism that is easy to operate, easy to manufacture, and provides positive positional feedback.SUMMARYIn one embodiment, the present invention is a binding mechanism which is easy to operate and manufacture, and is relatively strong and robust, and provides positive positional feedback. In particular, in one embodiment, the invention is abinding mechanism system including a first support portion including a first ring portion located thereon and a second support portion including a second ring portion located thereon. At least one of said first and second support portions is movablerelative to the other between a closed position wherein the first and second ring portions contact to form a generally closed ring, and an open position wherein the first and second ring portions are spaced apart from each other. The binding mechanismfurther includes an indicator that is generally visible when the ring portions are in one of the open or closed position and that is generally not visible when</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:43:23 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57389500/Slidable-Binding-Mechanism---Patent-7607853Binding Device - Patent 7478963http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386708/Binding-Device---Patent-7478963<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386708/Binding-Device---Patent-7478963 title="Binding Device - Patent 7478963"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57386708.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to a binding device, and in particular, for example, to a binding device used for a ring binder or file.2. Description of the Related ArtA conventional binding device is configured such that an approximately annular binding ring is engaged at its center so as to be closed. For example, if the ring is manually opened or closed, a pair of approximately semicircular binding halfrings which together define an approximately annular binding ring are pulled apart with fingers so as to be separated from each other, thereby opening the binding ring.When the approximately annular binding ring is opened with fingers, however, it is difficult to open the pair of approximately semicircular binding half rings defining the binding ring when a relatively large number of sheets of a document arebound.Therefore, for example, a ring file disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-337988 has been proposed.The so-called lever type binder of a conventional ring file disclosed in the above-cited patent publication, however, has the following problem. When a large amount of an object is to be bound by approximately annular binding rings of the ringfile, the inner sides of levers are pushed outwardly and down so as to open the binding rings. However, when the levers are pushed outwardly and down from the bound article side so as to open the binding rings, the bound article is an obstacle, whichmakes it difficult to push down the levers with fingers.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn order to solve the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a binding device which allows relatively easy opening and closing by manually handling binding rings of the binder.A binding device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes binding rings, a holding member having such a length that permits the binding rings to be arranged at a distance from each other, and an operati</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:47:16 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386708/Binding-Device---Patent-7478963File, In Particular Archive Or Travel File - Patent 7478964http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386682/File-In-Particular-Archive-Or-Travel-File---Patent-7478964<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386682/File-In-Particular-Archive-Or-Travel-File---Patent-7478964 title="File, In Particular Archive Or Travel File - Patent 7478964"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57386682.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>This application is the U.S. National Phase ofInternational Application Number PCT/NL03/00187 filed on 12 Mar. 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to a file, comprising a front cover, a back cover, a spine connecting the covers and a binding mechanism for detachably binding sheets in the file.To store, for instance, paper, frequent use is made of files, for instance manufactured from cardboard, plastic and combinations thereof, wherein a front cover and a back cover are hingedly connected with a spine and wherein a binding mechanismis fixed on the back cover. The binding mechanism can be opened to fix perforated sheets thereon and can be closed to secure these sheets.For filing, the contents of a file are usually taken out and bound with a separate binding means, after which the bound contents are secured in a box file and filed away. This protects the filed contents against pollution, while the contents,for instance date, subjects and the like, can be simply indicated on the box file. Such a use of files has the disadvantage that taking out the contents, re-binding them and filing them in box files is time-consuming and expensive, as are the box filesto be used themselves. In addition, the contents then become less easily accessible. Placing the files directly in a filing department has the disadvantage that the contents remain approachable from the surroundings, so that pollution can easily occur,for instance dust and the like, while, in addition, there is a chance that parts of the contents unintentionally come loose from the file and are lost.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention has for its object to provide a file of the type described in the opening paragraph, in which the above disadvantages are avoided, while retaining the advantages thereof. To this end, a file according to the invention ischaracterized by the features of claim 1.In a file according to the present invention, a closure ele</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:46:55 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386682/File-In-Particular-Archive-Or-Travel-File---Patent-7478964Files And Method For Presenting Files - Patent 7478966http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386619/Files-And-Method-For-Presenting-Files---Patent-7478966<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386619/Files-And-Method-For-Presenting-Files---Patent-7478966 title="Files And Method For Presenting Files - Patent 7478966"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57386619.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>This application is the U.S. National Phase of International Application NumberPCT/NL03/00021 filed on 14 Jan. 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to a file. The invention particularly relates to a file with at least an arch for fixing paper and the like.Files are conventionally provided with a front cover, a back cover and a spine, manufactured from cardboard, if required enclosed in a plastic coating sealed therearound. Front cover, back cover and spine are interconnected by hinges. Fixed onthe back cover is an arch by means of pop rivets, blind rivets or the like, by which a fixed connection is obtained. The arch consists mainly of, for instance, two, four or twenty ring elements, which can be divided by means of an opening and closingmechanism, so that paper with perforations can be slid thereon, after which the rings are closed to fix the paper. Such files are, for instance, known as multi-ring, two-ring or four-ring files or the like.These known files have the disadvantage that they occupy relatively much space in empty condition. In fact, the two covers cannot be folded together, because the or each arch is closed therebetween, while files in open condition, in which thefront cover, the back cover and the spine are approximately in one plane, cannot be stacked, because the arches project thereabove. A further disadvantage of these known files is that their manufacture is relatively complicated, so that they are veryexpensive. Moreover, the metal parts can easily lead to damage to the papers to be stored in the file and to the surroundings, in particular through the metal fastening means.The invention has for its object to \provide a file for the type described in the opening paragraph, in which the above disadvantages are avoided, while retaining the advantages thereof. To this end, a file according to the invention ischaracterized by a front cover, a back cover and a spine manufactured i</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:45:42 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386619/Files-And-Method-For-Presenting-Files---Patent-7478966Notebook/portfolio With Writing Pad - Patent 7478965http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386600/Notebookportfolio-With-Writing-Pad---Patent-7478965<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386600/Notebookportfolio-With-Writing-Pad---Patent-7478965 title="Notebook/portfolio With Writing Pad - Patent 7478965"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57386600.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)Not applicable.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot applicable.TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention is directed toward portable paper organizers and carriers, and particularly toward notebooks, portfolios and the like.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ARTNotebooks and portfolios have long been widely used by students and professionals alike to organize their papers, particularly papers of written materials. The notebooks and portfolios are also portable to enable their users to readily carry theorganized papers with them.Of course, such notebooks and portfolios are commonly carried by persons who not only may require the old notes and papers organized therein, but also commonly expect to receive and/or make new papers relating to the subject matters includedamong the organized papers. As such, blank papers are commonly carried in the notebooks and portfolios, with the user removing blank papers as needed from the notebook to take notes on and then return to the notebook when done. While this isadvantageous, it may sometimes be difficult to locate a blank sheet of paper to use for taking notes. Also, particularly for notebooks, it may be clumsy to open the notebook and remove a sheet of paper for note taking (or to take notes on a sheet whileit remains in the notebook) if, as can frequently be the case, clear desk space is not readily available to allow the user to lay down the notebook while it is opened to access paper therein. Even after getting the paper, taking notes on the paper canbe clumsy without such desk space. For example, taking notes while walking around can be extremely clumsy.The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the present invention, a portable carrier for papers is provided, includi</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:45:25 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57386600/Notebookportfolio-With-Writing-Pad---Patent-7478965Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57345302/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57345302/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF title="Ready Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57345302.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 14, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking ring members together.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to addor remove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. Thehousing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivotthrough this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed thespring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart orpushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position to open or close the ring members (in addition to manuallypulling the ring members apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:03:52 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57345302/Ready-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDFRing Binder Mechanism With Sliding Hinge Plate - Patent 7600939http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57326519/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Sliding-Hinge-Plate---Patent-7600939<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57326519/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Sliding-Hinge-Plate---Patent-7600939 title="Ring Binder Mechanism With Sliding Hinge Plate - Patent 7600939"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57326519.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 13, 2010<p>BACKGROUNDThis invention relates generally to ring binder mechanisms for retaining loose-leaf pages, and more specifically to a ring binder mechanism having a hinge plate that slides for unlocking ring members mounted thereon and pivots for moving them toan opened position.A typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings, each including two half ring members that mount on two adjacent hinge plates. The hinge platesjoin together about a pivot axis and pivot within an elongated housing, allowing the ring members mounted thereon to move between an opened position where pages may be added or removed, and a closed position where pages are retained and can move alongthe rings. An operator may typically open or close the ring members by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator can move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism to openor close the ring members.The paired ring members of these known mechanisms often have free ends with tip formations that do not always exactly align when the ring members are closed, and misalignment of the ring members in directions transverse to longitudinalcenterlines of the ring members is common. Moreover, even if alignment is initially perfect upon closure, the free ends may still be able to move relative to each other. Accordingly, pages bound by these known mechanisms may not smoothly move from onering member to the other and may be torn.It is known to provide paired ring members that have free ends with interlocking tip formations to hold the paired ring members in alignment when they are closed. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,490 (Warrington) and U.S. Pat. No.6,293,722 (Holbrook et al.) and in U.S. Pat. Publ. No. 2006/0153628 (Tanaka et al.). To open these ring members, the interlocking formations must first be disengaged. This is</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:27:12 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57326519/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-With-Sliding-Hinge-Plate---Patent-7600939Molded Binder - Patent 7399136http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57264452/Molded-Binder---Patent-7399136<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57264452/Molded-Binder---Patent-7399136 title="Molded Binder - Patent 7399136"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57264452.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 13, 2010<p>FIELDAspects of the inventions relate to binders for holding articles and more particularly to molded binders for holding loose-leaf papers and the like.BACKGROUNDBinders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. With repeated use, portions of the binder may prematurely fail.Conventional loose-leaf binders include three panels: a front cover, a back cover and a spine panel, connected to one another by joints. In some binders, such as molded polypropylene binders, the joints are living hinges. In other binders, thepanels are cardboard pieces which are covered by two sheets of plastic sealed around the edges and the joints and edges of the panels only include two sheets of plastic sealed together.As is the case with most living hinges repeated use strains the material at the hinge. After repeated openings and closings of the binder, the living hinge will eventually fracture, rendering the binder unusable. Similarly, after repeated useor when a binder is fully loaded or over loaded, the hinges often tear. Other areas of the binder may also tear or wear with repeated use.SUMMARYAspects of the invention are directed to improved binders constructed to reduce the incidence of premature degradation of joints, edges and/or other weak or stress points. The binder may be reinforced with a molding to strengthen weak or stresspoints and give the binder a longer life. The molding may be formed by any method, such as comolding or overmolding. In addition, some molding materials may have a more pliable or rubbery feel, providing a user with a better grip when the user contactsthe molding.According to one aspect of the invention, a binder is provided. The binder includes at least one binding mechanism, first and second panels cooperating with said at least one binding mechanism, and a molding located on a first portion of atleast one of the first and second panels. The first and second panels are constructed and arranged to enclo</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:21:42 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57264452/Molded-Binder---Patent-7399136Twist Lock Ring Binder - Patent 7461994http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57253443/Twist-Lock-Ring-Binder---Patent-7461994<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57253443/Twist-Lock-Ring-Binder---Patent-7461994 title="Twist Lock Ring Binder - Patent 7461994"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57253443.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 12, 2010<p>NoneSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTN/ABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,490, there is described a binder ring metal commonly referred to as a "twist-lok" metal. An advantage of this type metal is that it is relatively easy for a user to open by applying finger pressure to respective halvesof a binder ring, typically near the respective ends of the ring halves where they join together to close the metal. The user then moves his or her fingers in a rotary or twisting manner to separate the ends of the halves. The opposite ends of the ringhalves are connected to separate leaves which extend side-by-side beneath a cover portion of the metal. The leaves have swedges which are angled with respect to the leaves and the twisting movement of the upper portion of the ring halves causes theleaves to sufficiently flex so that an over center toggling action occurs and the binder rings remain open after the finger pressure is released.A problem with previous twist-lok metals has been that they are prone to open when a binder in which they are installed is accidentally dropped. If a binder falls off a table, or is bumped out of a person's hands while they are carrying thebinder, it often occurs that one or more of the binder rings spring apart, opening the binder. The person then must retrieve the binder and re-close the rings, hopefully without having lost any pages out of the binder. The present invention is directedto an improved twist-lok ring metal which is still easy to open, but which now does not inadvertently open when dropped, bumped, or otherwise subjected to a force.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is related to an improved "twist-lok" binder ring metal. The metal includes a plurality of binder rings each comprised of a pair of binder ring halves which interconnect to close a ring. Opposite ends of each half areattached to separate leaves which extend the length of the metal parallel to each</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:47:01 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57253443/Twist-Lock-Ring-Binder---Patent-7461994Ring Mechanism Biased To Closed And Locked Position - Patent 7534064http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57140257/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7534064<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57140257/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7534064 title="Ring Mechanism Biased To Closed And Locked Position - Patent 7534064"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57140257.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has multiple rings each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to add or removepages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housingloosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivot relative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through thisposition, they deform the resilient housing and cause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, the spring forceresists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing themtogether. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism to move the hinge plates through the coplanar position.One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that a substantial housing spring force is required to hold the closed ring members together. When the ring members close, the housing spring force snaps the ring members together rapidlyand with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. In addition, the housing spri</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:27:40 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57140257/Ring-Mechanism-Biased-To-Closed-And-Locked-Position---Patent-7534064File Folder - Patent 7448818http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57131078/File-Folder---Patent-7448818<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57131078/File-Folder---Patent-7448818 title="File Folder - Patent 7448818"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57131078.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>OBJECT OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention refers to a file folder, of the type of those which incorporate a cover to which, in the proximity of its spine and generally on its rear wall, a plurality of sheets or documents is fastened, provided with holes for saidfastening.The object of the invention is to achieve a perfect fastening for the mentioned sheets or documents, so that they are firmly secured to the spine of the file folder, as if they were bound, allowing repeated turning of the same without any risk oftearing due to the fastening holes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWhen filing documents, be they loose sheets, brochures or the like, it is habitual to use file folders which constitute a kind of portfolio, with a front wall, a rear wall and a spine, so that to the internal face of the rear wall and in theproximity of the spine, a support is fastened provided with a plurality of openable rings, so that by perforating marginally and conveniently the sheets or documents to be filed, these can be coupled to the aforementioned rings, when these are open, andbe secured when they are closed.Independently of the high cost of these mechanisms, the fundamental problem with said type of file folders is centred on the fact that the documents must support the forces applied during their manipulation inside the portfolio through the narrowborders defined between their holes and the proximate and corresponding edge, whereby tearing occurs frequently in such documents which, besides signifying a deterioration in the same, sometimes causes their escape or detachment from the file folder.In an endeavour to overcome this problem, the use is known of adhesive rings to strengthen the holes in the sheets, which constitutes a very complicated and difficult to manage solution and, in a more habitual fashion, fitting the rings of thefile folder with a page press, with a means for locking which presses the marginal area of the sheets against the back wall of the portfolio and which,</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:34:30 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57131078/File-Folder---Patent-7448818Easy Open Ring Binder - Patent 7530755http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57106335/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---Patent-7530755<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57106335/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---Patent-7530755 title="Easy Open Ring Binder - Patent 7530755"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57106335.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTN/ABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to ring binders for holding paper and the like, and more particularly, a ring binder which is easier to open than conventional ring binders.Conventional ring binders employ a pair of thumb or finger operated trigger mechanisms, one located at each end of a "metal". The metal includes two or more binder rings connected to a lever movable by the trigger mechanism to open and close thebinder. Heretofore, the force required to operate the trigger has been relatively substantial. One reason for this is that the metal is designed to not inadvertently open if a binder is, for example, dropped. Accordingly, conventional metals have beendesigned to withstand a reasonable amount of force and remain closed. While these metals have functioned well for their intended purpose, it has recently been recognized that it would be advantageous to employ a metal which, while it stays closed whendropped or otherwise mishandled, requires substantially less force by a user to open it when the user desires to open the binder.Various approaches to easy open type ring metals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,357, and published U.S. patent applications 2005/0013654, 2003/0103798, and 2003/0103797. However, the structures shown and described therein are morecomplex and costly than the invention described herein.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to an easy-open ring metal for a binder holding hole punched sheets of paper or the like. The metal includes two or more binder rings each of which comprises two curved ring segments one end of each of which isattached to a hinge plate. The other ends of the respective ring segments mate with each other when the binder is closed, but are separated from each other when the plates are moved to open the binder. A movable bar extends from one end of the metal tothe other and contacts the hinge plates</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:29:44 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57106335/Easy-Open-Ring-Binder---Patent-7530755Hangable Ring Mechanism - Patent 7445396http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57100387/Hangable-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7445396<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57100387/Hangable-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7445396 title="Hangable Ring Mechanism - Patent 7445396"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57100387.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>This invention relates to ring mechanisms for holding loose leaf pages, and in particular to a hangable ring mechanism.A typical ring mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as loose-leaf papers, in a file or notebook. The mechanism generally features multiple rings, each including two half ring members capable of selectively opening to add or remove papers, orselectively closing to retain papers and allow them to move along the rings. The ring members are typically mounted on an elongate housing or frame for movement between the open and closed position. Most commonly, the ring members are mounted onrespective hinge plates supported by the frame. However, the frame is typically riveted or otherwise attached to the spine of the ring binder cover. The ring binder covers are not suited for attaching to a support.Loose-leaf papers can also be retained in folders. In one known configuration, the folders have spaced hangers for supporting the folder between two supports (i.e., hanging file folders). While the folders are adapted to hold loose-leaf pages,the pages are merely placed in the folder. Thus, the order of the loose-leaf pages relative to other loose-leaf pages in the folder is not positively maintained by the folder.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA ring mechanism for retaining loose leaf pages is selectively configurable between an open configuration in which loose leaf pages can be added or removed from the mechanism and a closed configuration in which loose leaf pages are retained bythe ring mechanism. The ring mechanism is supportable on at least one support member. The ring mechanism comprises an elongate frame having a longitudinal axis and comprising an elongate first frame element and an elongate second frame element separatefrom the first frame element. A hinge pin interconnects the first and second frame elements to permit pivoting movement of the frame elements relative to each other about an axis extending one of parallel to and coaxial with the</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:53:21 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57100387/Hangable-Ring-Mechanism---Patent-7445396Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7527449http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57073866/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7527449<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57073866/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7527449 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7527449"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57073866.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>FIELDAspects of the invention relate to binder mechanisms for holding articles and more particularly to ring hinder mechanisms for holding loose-leaf papers and the like.BACKGROUNDRing binders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. Conventional loose-leaf binders include binder mechanisms having ring segments that abut to form closed loops. The ring segments are separated tofacilitate inserting or removing the article to and from the binder. Levers are often employed to help separate the ring segments between the opened and closed positions. Locking mechanisms are also employed to limit inadvertent opening of the rings.SUMMARYAccording to one aspect of the invention, a binder mechanism for binding articles is provided. The binder mechanism includes a base and an elongate ring support rotatably mounted to the base. The elongate ring support includes a plurality ofring members adapted to receive the article. The elongate ring support has an open configuration and a closed configuration. The binder mechanism further includes a locking arrangement having a locking tab disposed on the elongate ring support, and anelongate slide lock slidably mounted relative to the base. The slide lock includes a lock structure having a lock detent defining a cavity thereunder that is constructed and arranged-to receive the locking tab when the slide lock is in a first positionso that the locking tab is held in the cavity by the lock detent and the elongate ring support is held in the closed configuration. The lock structure also includes a ramp disposed adjacent the cavity that is constructed and arranged to cooperate withthe locking tab such that, when the slide lock is moved to a second position and the locking tab is freed from the cavity, the locking tab is urged by the ramp to rotate the elongate ring support toward the open configuration. The locking arrangementalso includes a spring disposed between the slide lock and the b</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:35:24 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57073866/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7527449Portfolio With Reversible Article Retaining Board And Method Of Making Article Retaining Pockets Therefor - Patent 7441977http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57063906/Portfolio-With-Reversible-Article-Retaining-Board-And-Method-Of-Making-Article-Retaining-Pockets-Therefor---Patent-7441977<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57063906/Portfolio-With-Reversible-Article-Retaining-Board-And-Method-Of-Making-Article-Retaining-Pockets-Therefor---Patent-7441977 title="Portfolio With Reversible Article Retaining Board And Method Of Making Article Retaining Pockets Therefor - Patent 7441977"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57063906.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 11, 2010<p>The present invention relates to portfolios, and more specifically to a portfolio having a reversible article holding board, article holding pocket therefor, and method of making such a pocket.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the past, portfolios, including those configured in binder form, have been equipped with storage pockets used to carry articles of all types, including storage media. However, especially with regard to storage media, holders used in suchportfolios have been limited as they are designed to carry only one type or size of article.In the past, in one known type of storage media holding portfolio used to hold magnetic storage media, the portfolio has stitched storage pockets. Each pocket has an outer pocket wall that is stitched to sidewalls and a bottom wall. Unfortunately, storage pockets of such stitched construction are expensive to make and labor intensive to produce, all of which increases production costs.What is needed is a portfolio that is capable of holding more than one type or size of article. What is further needed is an article holding pocket construction that is faster and more economical to produce.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a portfolio that can be configured to comprise a binder that has an article carrying board that is releasably retained by the portfolio and which can be removed and reversed, preferably to enable either sideof the board to be presented to a user of the portfolio. In one preferred embodiment, the article carrying board is constructed and arranged to removably carry one size or type of article on one side and another size or type of article on the otherside.The portfolio includes at least one panel, preferably a cover panel, to which the article carrying board is releasably attachable. The panel carries at least one fastening arrangement that releasably engages a corresponding fastening arrangementcarried by the board. To enable the board to be reversed and releasably attached</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:02:28 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57063906/Portfolio-With-Reversible-Article-Retaining-Board-And-Method-Of-Making-Article-Retaining-Pockets-Therefor---Patent-7441977Ring Binder Mechanism Spring Biased To A Locked Position - Patent 7524128http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031335/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position---Patent-7524128<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031335/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position---Patent-7524128 title="Ring Binder Mechanism Spring Biased To A Locked Position - Patent 7524128"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57031335.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 10, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing them to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivotrelative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing andcause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ringmembers together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on both endsof the binder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions.One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The substantialspring force required to keep the ring members closed also makes pivoting the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) difficult so that it is hard to both open and close the rin</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:22:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031335/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position---Patent-7524128Ring Binder Mechanism - PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031258/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031258/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDF title="Ring Binder Mechanism - PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57031258.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 10, 2010<p>FIELDAspects of the invention relate to binder mechanisms for holding articles and more particularly to ring binder mechanisms for holding loose-leaf papers and the like.BACKGROUNDRing binders are employed to hold articles, typically loose-leaf papers, documents, and the like. Conventional loose-leaf binders include binder mechanisms having ring segments that abut to form closed loops. The ring segments are separated tofacilitate inserting or removing the article to and from the binder. Levers are often employed to help separate the ring segments between the opened and closed positions. Locking mechanisms are also employed to limit inadvertent opening of the rings.SUMMARYAccording to one aspect of the invention, a binder mechanism for binding articles is provided. The binder mechanism includes a base and an elongate ring support rotatably mounted to the base. The elongate ring support includes a plurality ofring members adapted to receive the article. The elongate ring support has an open configuration and a closed configuration. The binder mechanism further includes a locking arrangement having a locking tab disposed on the elongate ring support, and anelongate slide lock slidably mounted relative to the base. The slide lock includes a lock structure having a lock detent defining a cavity thereunder that is constructed and arranged to receive the locking tab when the slide lock is in a first positionso that the locking tab is held in the cavity by the lock detent and the elongate ring support is held in the closed configuration. The lock structure also includes a ramp disposed adjacent the cavity that is constructed and arranged to cooperate withthe locking tab such that, when the slide lock is moved to a second position and the locking tab is freed from the cavity, the locking tab is urged by the ramp to rotate the elongate ring support toward the open configuration. The locking arrangementalso includes a spring disposed between the slide lock and the b</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:20:39 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57031258/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---PDFBinder Having Compartment With Slotted Access - Patent 7387461http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57028110/Binder-Having-Compartment-With-Slotted-Access---Patent-7387461<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/57028110/Binder-Having-Compartment-With-Slotted-Access---Patent-7387461 title="Binder Having Compartment With Slotted Access - Patent 7387461"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/57028110.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 10, 2010<p>1. Technical FieldThe invention relates to binders. More particularly, the invention relates to a binder having a compartment with a slotted access port.2. Description of Prior ArtBinders are ubiquitous and invaluable organizational tools. A typical binder includes a front cover and back cover which defines inner area for storage of various materials. Binders can include rings or clips to hold these materials therein andcan be organized into sections. Binders can include mechanism for closing. Examples of known binders include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,560 to Friedlander attaches a compartment to a binder page which is held by three split rings. A pair offlaps opens to allow ingress into the compartment; U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,275 to Brook teaches a label holder on the front page or the spine of the binder, the holder comprising of frame with a side (or top) slot to allow placement of the label, card,therein; U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,027 Bachrach et al., which teaches attaching a clear outer cover to the front of the binder, where the cover is attached to the front on three sides and opens on the top; U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,333 to Arroyo teachesattaching a hinged compartment to the spine of the binder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,627 to Chapman teaches a binder having an outer pocket that is open only at the top to each of the front, back, and spine of the binder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,797 to Streff,et al. teaches attaching a picture frame, only open at the top, to the front and spine of the binder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,726 to Russo provides a picture sleeve on the outer front surface of the binder with a sleeve closed on all edges, except thevertical edge adjacent to the spine; U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,106 to Joe et al. provides a double layer of transparent pockets, all open at their top edges, on the front or back of a binder; U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,414 to Wien teaches locating a plurality ofpockets inside the binder. The pockets are open along one edge, ei</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:20:55 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/57028110/Binder-Having-Compartment-With-Slotted-Access---Patent-7387461System For Displaying, Storing And Retrieving Images - Patent 7517168http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56994612/System-For-Displaying-Storing-And-Retrieving-Images---Patent-7517168<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56994612/System-For-Displaying-Storing-And-Retrieving-Images---Patent-7517168 title="System For Displaying, Storing And Retrieving Images - Patent 7517168"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56994612.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 10, 2010<p>The present invention is directed to the field of storing and displaying print images, for identifying the source from which the images originated, and for storing the source of the original image.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTypically, consumers receive individual photographic prints from photofinishers and the film negative from which the prints were made. The film negatives may be provided in cut strips loosely with the prints, or may be provided in a filmcassette having a cartridge ID if the prints were obtained from APS film (Advanced Photographic System, recently introduced). The loosely provided prints tend to make it difficult for the owners to store or view the prints. When prints provided fromAPS film are returned to the customer, index prints are also provided. The index print allows the identifying and locating of particular images returned in the APS film cartridge. This, of course, provides an added print at added cost to thephotofinisher.In U.S. Ser. No. 08/455,770, filed May 31, 1995, entitled "Dual Sides Photographic Album Leaf and Method of Making," there is disclosed providing to the customer one or more album leaves containing the images on the roll of film. These leavesmay be used to provide all of the service prints present on the negative filmstrip. However, it is difficult to relate the images on the album page to the individual negatives from the roll of film from which it originated. The customer must first sortthrough the separate index prints returned to the customer, which may not be conveniently located.Applicants have invented an improved album page and system for displaying, storing and retrieving of images which overcomes many of the storing, displaying and retrieving problems of the prior art.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an album leaf having a first side having a first i</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 10 Oct 2010 07:07:49 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56994612/System-For-Displaying-Storing-And-Retrieving-Images---Patent-7517168Ring Binder Mechanism Having Slide Connector - Patent 7513708http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56974209/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Slide-Connector---Patent-7513708<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56974209/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Slide-Connector---Patent-7513708 title="Ring Binder Mechanism Having Slide Connector - Patent 7513708"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56974209.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 09, 2010<p>This invention relates to ring binders for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to a fastening system for attaching a ring binder mechanism to a cover to form the ring binder.Conventional ring binders are made by securing a ring binder mechanism to a cover using rivets. Commonly, ring binder mechanisms include a housing and a plurality of ring members attached to the housing for retaining loose-leaf pages, such ashole-punched pages. Typically, the ring binder mechanism is secured to the cover by inserting the rivets through the cover and openings in the ring binder mechanism. The tail of each of the rivets is then deformed (e.g., by punching) to engage the ringbinder mechanism. Once assembled, the ring binder is packaged and shipped to a distributor, a retailer, or directly to an end user (i.e., consumer).One of the drawbacks of traditional ring binders relates to their shipping and storage after they are assembled. When assembled, large gaps exist between the ring binder mechanism and the cover for each ring binder leaving large amounts of roomunused during shipping and storing of multiple ring binders. Thus, the number of ring binders in each package is greatly limited. As a result, packaging and shipping conventional ring binders is inefficient which results in significant shipping andhandling costs. Moreover, even a limited number of ring binders occupy a substantial amount of storage space or retail display space.In response to this drawback, manufacturers of ring binders typically pack the mechanisms in alternating directions. But even this packing technique leaves large amounts of unused space. Further efforts to overcome some of the short comings ofconventional ring binders have been disclosed in coassigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,811 to To et al., 5,879,097 to Cheng, and 5,160,209 to Schuessler, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, a ring binder mechanism of the prese</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:27:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56974209/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Having-Slide-Connector---Patent-7513708Binder Metal With Shield Insert - Patent 7419324http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56911246/Binder-Metal-With-Shield-Insert---Patent-7419324<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56911246/Binder-Metal-With-Shield-Insert---Patent-7419324 title="Binder Metal With Shield Insert - Patent 7419324"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56911246.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 09, 2010<p>NoneSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTN/ABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a ring shield for positioning an accessory within binder rings and the like, and more particularly, a ring shield which positions an accessory having a variety of forms in a convenient position while maximizingthe allowed space for loose-leaf sheets within the binder rings.Binder metal or ring metal is a generic name for a paper holding device by which hole-punched sheets of paper are stored in a ring binder. The metal typically consists of two or more binder rings each of which is formed by two ring sectionswhich are movable apart and together to open and close the binder, a mechanism operable by the user to open and close the rings, and a metal cover or shield which covers the mechanism. The shield comprises an elongated piece of metal or plastic whoselength generally corresponds to the length of the binder and the size of the sheets of paper stored in the binder, and whose width generally corresponds to the width of a spine section of the binder (the portion of the binder between the end leaves ofthe binder).Conventional ring binders employ pockets or sheets that include attachments to hold accessories such as writing implements. The pockets/sheets use a flap in which holes are punched, wherein the binder rings hold the pockets/sheets in the samemanner as the loose-leaf paper. Heretofore, conventional ring binders incorporate separate attachments for accessories that result in unwieldy use since the user must flip back and forth between the attachment and the loose-leaf papers. Otherconventional ring binders employ accessory attachments fixed to the shield. These attachments, however, incorporate much of the space within the binder rings. As such, the efficiency of the ring binder is reduced since the binder cannot hold thedesigned amount of loose-leaf paper.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure relates to a ring</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:04:03 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56911246/Binder-Metal-With-Shield-Insert---Patent-7419324Fasteners For Albums - Patent 7413364http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56837811/Fasteners-For-Albums---Patent-7413364<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56837811/Fasteners-For-Albums---Patent-7413364 title="Fasteners For Albums - Patent 7413364"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56837811.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 08, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to fasteners for albums such as photographic albums and scrapbooks where it is the required to add or replace album pages.2. Description of the Prior ArtCertain types of photographic albums and scrapbooks are designed for easy expansion by the insertion of additional pages and pages may also be removable from the album as required. Conventially, such an album consists of separate front and rearcovers and separate album pages between the covers. The album is held an assembled state by releasable fasteners, each consisting of a male and female screw inserted from the front and the back of the album, the female screw consisting of a screw headand an internally threaded shack and the male screw consisting of a head and an externally threaded shank, which engages within the internally threaded shank of the female screw. The two screws, when assembled, provide a fastening of variable lengthwhich can be adjusted within predetermined limits to suit the number of pages within the album. To permit replacement or insertion of pages, one or other of the screws is removed to permit removal of the front or the back cover and possibly some of thealbum pages at the front or back while the other screw remains in position to retain the remainder of the album pages in alignment. This screw-type fastening system has been in use for many years but is not particularly convenient to use as it can bequite difficult to align the male and female screws while maintaining alignment of the pages particularly when adding album sheets to increase the size of the album.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the present invention there is provided a releasable fastener for an album comprising front and back covers and removable pages between the covers, the fastener having a pair of strap anchors, one adapted to be attached to the frontcover and the other to the back cover, a strap adapted to pass through aligned apertures in the covers an</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:57:05 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56837811/Fasteners-For-Albums---Patent-7413364Ring Binder Mechanism - Download Now PDFhttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56803571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDF<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56803571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDF title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Download Now PDF"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56803571.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Friday, October 08, 2010<p>This invention relates to binders for holding loose leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing binders.A ring binder retains loose leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It features ring members for retaining the papers which may be selectively opened to add or remove papers, or closed to retain papers while allowing themto be moved along the ring members. Levers are typically provided on both ends of the binder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions.One drawback to ring binders of the prior art is that when ring members are being closed, they snap shut with a strong magnitude of force which can cause injury. When ring members are fully closed, that strong clamping force is necessary tosecurely lock the binder and prevent its unintentional opening. Unfortunately, that magnitude of force is also applied to the ring members while they are being opened or closed, causing difficulty in opening and closing the ring members, as well as thehazardous snapping action. Further, the clamping force within each ring is not uniform with the clamping force in other rings, causing uneven movement and potentially resulting in gaps on closed rings.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAmong the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of a ring binder mechanism which inhibits injury to operators; the provision of such a mechanism which is easily opened or closed; the provision of such amechanism which provides uniform clamping force in each ring; the provision of such a mechanism which may be securely locked; and the provision of such a mechanism which provides a locking force to secure the mechanism in the closed position.Generally, a ring binder mechanism according to the present invention retains loose leaf pages. The mechanism comprises a generally rigid, elongate plate having a longitudinal axis and hinge plates supported by the plate for pivoting motionrelativ</p></div>Patents-321Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:17:06 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56803571/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Download-Now-PDFRing Binder Mechanism Spring Biased To A Locked Position When Ring Members Close - Patent 7404685http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56759638/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position-When-Ring-Members-Close---Patent-7404685<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56759638/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position-When-Ring-Members-Close---Patent-7404685 title="Ring Binder Mechanism Spring Biased To A Locked Position When Ring Members Close - Patent 7404685"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56759638.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 07, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for opening and closing ring members and for readily and securely locking closed ring members together.A ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has ring members for retaining the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove pages or closed to retain pages whileallowing them to be moved along the ring members. The ring members mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis for pivoting movement within an elongated housing. The housing loosely holds the hinge plates so they may pivotrelative to the housing. The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing andcause a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ringmembers together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. Levers may also be provided on both endsof the binder for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions.One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them together rapidly and with a force that might cause fingers to be pinched between the ring members. The substantialspring force required to keep the ring members closed also makes pivoting the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) difficult so that it is hard to both open and close the rin</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:36:07 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56759638/Ring-Binder-Mechanism-Spring-Biased-To-A-Locked-Position-When-Ring-Members-Close---Patent-7404685Lever Arch Binder Mechanism With Complementary Ring Tips - Patent 7293932http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746730/Lever-Arch-Binder-Mechanism-With-Complementary-Ring-Tips---Patent-7293932<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746730/Lever-Arch-Binder-Mechanism-With-Complementary-Ring-Tips---Patent-7293932 title="Lever Arch Binder Mechanism With Complementary Ring Tips - Patent 7293932"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56746730.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 07, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism having an actuating crank.Many modern ring binder mechanisms have actuating levers for opening and closing two, three or more rings. In some such devices, the levers also lock the rings closed. The typical arrangement is to attach the bottoms of the ring halves tohinged plates confined between the edges of an arcuate metal housing which provides a toggling action as the plates snap between open and closed positions.Other devices have been proposed in which the rings are opened and/or closed by a cam-type mechanism. Prior such constructions are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 778,910, 2,494,898, 2,789,561, and 2,894,513. U.S. Pat. No. 778,910 discloses atwo-ring binder mechanism which is opened by lifting the end of a lever which depresses a crank whose ends are the movable ends of the two rings. U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,968 shows a device more closely related to the present invention.In most ring binder mechanisms, the opposed ring parts are both semicircular, so that when they are closed, they form substantially a circular shape. One problem with semi-circular ring parts is that they do not make it easy to load or removelarge numbers of papers at once onto or off of the rings. Automatic machine loading of papers onto such rings is particularly difficult. For this reason, some prior inventors have developed rings in which one segment is straight, or almost so. Withsuch rings, commonly called D-rings, a large group of papers can be lowered right onto the straight segments very simply and quickly. But since D-rings are not symmetrical, the tips meet to the left or right of the center plane of the mechanism andtherefore approach one another not axially, but rather with a lateral component so that the line of approach is oblique to the length of the straight segment. The greater the offset, the greater the lateral component.An oblique approach direction creates difficulty when one tip has a protrusion designed to sea</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:57:43 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746730/Lever-Arch-Binder-Mechanism-With-Complementary-Ring-Tips---Patent-7293932Removable Divider Construction For Coil Bound Notebooks - Patent 7293933http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746680/Removable-Divider-Construction-For-Coil-Bound-Notebooks---Patent-7293933<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746680/Removable-Divider-Construction-For-Coil-Bound-Notebooks---Patent-7293933 title="Removable Divider Construction For Coil Bound Notebooks - Patent 7293933"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56746680.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Thursday, October 07, 2010<p>The invention relates generally to the field of coil bound notebook accessories and, in particular, to a divider element which may be removably coupled, as desired, to coils of a notebook or similar coil bound article.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCoil bound notebooks, including writing notebooks, organizers, calendars, planners, etc., are well known. Notebooks of this type commonly include at least one divider to partition or separate various sections thereof to facilitate location of adesired section or page. Generally, however, such dividers are non-removably placed in predetermined locations by the manufacturers such that the users can neither select the most suitable location for the placement of dividers nor remove and reinsertdivider elements as desired.One approach to remedying the disadvantages associated with conventional coil bound notebooks having dividers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,785 issued to O'Hara et al., wherein an insert is disclosed comprising a sheet of material havinga plurality of wing-like tabs extending therefrom which are adapted to removably engage predetermined regions of a coil binding element. Because of the configuration of the wing-like tabs, however, significant manipulation of the tabs and correspondingcoil elements is required in order to couple the divider to the binding element. Thus, the wing-like tabs are more likely to break apart from the sheet and render the divider useless for its intended purpose. In addition, the embodiments disclosed byO'Hara et al. are not adapted to engage substantially the entirety of the coils of a binding element.Therefore, a need still exists for a divider element adapted to removably couple to a coil bound notebook without undue stress being exerted on the connector elements. Further, a need exists for a removable divider element of simple constructionfor facilitated engagement and disengagement with a coil binding element.Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to pro</p></div>Patents-321Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:57:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56746680/Removable-Divider-Construction-For-Coil-Bound-Notebooks---Patent-7293933Flexible Strap Ring Binder - Patent 7198422http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56683836/Flexible-Strap-Ring-Binder---Patent-7198422<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56683836/Flexible-Strap-Ring-Binder---Patent-7198422 title="Flexible Strap Ring Binder - Patent 7198422"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56683836.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Wednesday, October 06, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder particularly for use in a loose-leaf binder, being especially directed to a ring binder wherein each ring is formed of a flexible strap.In the background may be noted the following U.S. Patents received by the assignee of this invention: TABLE-US-00001 U.S. Pat. No. Date Title 5,354,142 Oct. 11, 1994 Ring Binder 5,577,852 Nov. 26, 1996 Ring Binder Mechanism 5,755,513 May 26, 1998 Ring Binder 5,842,807 Dec. 1, 1998 Ring Binder 5,879,097 Mar. 9, 1999 Ring Binder 6,033,144Mar. 7, 2000 Ring Binder Mechanism 6,168,339 Jan. 2, 2001 Ring BinderAlso in the background is U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,682, issued Apr. 25, 1967, entitled Loose Leaf Notebook Binder, on account of its showing of a ring formed from a flexible strap. This invention is regarded as involving substantial improvementthereover.Ring binders generally include metallic ring members which are pivotally connected to a hinge mechanism on a spine for opening and closing opposed ring members. In the open position, the ring members are spaced apart to allow pages of loose-leafpaper or the like which have pre-formed holes to be received on one set of ring members. In the closed position, the opposed ring members are engaged to form a continuous ring on which the pages can be turned. Typically, the ring members and ringswhich they form have a fixed size and cannot be adjusted in accordance with the amount of paper being held by the ring binder. Consequently, the ring members may be either too small or too large.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAmong the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a ring binder having a plurality of ring-forming constituents each comprising a flexible strap adapted to be laced through holes in loose-leaf items to be bound and readilyformed into a ring; the provision of such a binder adapted for ready manipulation to form rings of different sizes with the rings readily variable in size; the provision of such a binder wh</p></div>Patents-321Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:05:02 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56683836/Flexible-Strap-Ring-Binder---Patent-7198422Padfolio With Work Area - Patent 7281877http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56600509/Padfolio-With-Work-Area---Patent-7281877<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56600509/Padfolio-With-Work-Area---Patent-7281877 title="Padfolio With Work Area - Patent 7281877"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56600509.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 05, 2010<p>1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates to portfolios, padfolios and other business accessories.2. Background InformationPortfolios, padfolios and other compact, foldable business accessories are useful for storing and organizing a variety of documents and other personal/business effects. Typical modern portfolios and padfolios include a notepad, a series ofpockets and locations for storing various electronic devices including a calculator, personal digital assistant (PDA) and cellular phone.Arrangements and structures within a padfolio or portfolio that make it more user-friendly and enhance the function of various devices and accessories are always desirable. Many padfolios or portfolios, while containing desirable pockets andattachments, are not organized to effectively use the items carried in the most efficient manner, or while they remain attached to the portfolio or padfolio. Thus, a more effective organizational arrangement with enhanced device attachment features ishighly desirable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a padfolio, portfolio or other foldable business accessory that is organized with three hinged leaves (including two main leaves and one overriding leaf that folds over themain leaves when closed together) that may be unfolded and laid flat to expose various internal elements within an overall interior. The elements are organized so that a notepad on a movable flap is provided in a center leaf, while one of the opposingside leaves includes a raised clock base having a well or recess for securing a clock. The clock includes a folding stand so that it can be raised into an angled, standing position from a flat position. One of the opposing side leaves includes asupport base that removably supports a personal digital assistant (PDA), that is normally secured flat against the leaf, but that can be hinged upwardly into at least one adjustable angled position whereby the PDA</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:21:26 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56600509/Padfolio-With-Work-Area---Patent-7281877Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7360962http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56597882/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7360962<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56597882/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7360962 title="Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7360962"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56597882.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Tuesday, October 05, 2010<p>FIELD OF THEINVENTIONThe present invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for binding the sheets of loose leaves, especially to a binder mechanism with improved ring elements which can close tightly.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA ring binder is applied to secure loose leaves, such as punched paper, into a file folder or a notebook. It is characterized by ring elements for securing paper, wherein the ring elements can be opened optionally to add or remove paper, orclosed to secure paper, while allowing paper to move along them. Generally a lever is provided on both ends of the binder to move the ring elements between an opened position and a closed position.FIGS. 20 and 21 show a ring binder according to the prior art. In the conventional ring binder, end faces 56 of half ring elements 54 form an engagement configuration with a convex portion and a concave portion. When the end faces 56 of the twohalf ring elements 54 close, the convex portion of the end face 56 of one half ring element engages with the concave portion of the end face 56 of the other half ring element. One disadvantage of this type of engagement configuration is that the endfaces can not close tightly and align to each other exactly when two half ring elements close, so that vertical and transverse misalignments for the engagement configuration will occur, as illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21. Owing to the disadvantage thatthe end faces 56 of the binder which engage with each other misalign up and down, paper which is bound by the binder can not be turned over smoothly, and can even be torn.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a ring binder mechanism that can overcome the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art so as to enable the ring members to close tightly and align to each other exactly and eliminate thevertical and transverse misalignment.This object is achieved according to the present invention by providing a ring binder mechanism for binding th</p></div>Patents-321Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:03:58 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56597882/Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7360962Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7275886http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56519998/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7275886<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56519998/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7275886 title="Positive Lock Ring Binder Mechanism - Patent 7275886"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56519998.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Monday, October 04, 2010<p>This invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved mechanism for reducing a snapping motion of ring members as they close and for securely locking the closed ring members together. This invention further relates to an improved mechanism for easily opening and closing ring members that are filled with loose-leaf pages.As is known in the art, a typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings, each including two ring members capable of selectively opening to add orremove pages, or selectively closing to retain pages and allow them to move along the ring members. The ring members generally mount on two adjacent hinge plates that join together about a pivot axis and pivot within an elongated housing. The housingis slightly narrower than the joined hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180.degree.). So as the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and cause a tension spring force in the housing,urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position (180.degree.) either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, this spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Similarly, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator may typically overcome this force by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator may move alever located at one or both ends of the mechanism for moving the hinge plates through the coplanar position (180.degree.) to open or close the ring members (in addition to manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together).One drawback to these typical ring binder mechanisms is that when the ring members close, the housing's spring force snaps them toget</p></div>Patents-321Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:47:53 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56519998/Positive-Lock-Ring-Binder-Mechanism---Patent-7275886Ring Mechanism For A Ring Binder - Patent 7270496http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56428404/Ring-Mechanism-For-A-Ring-Binder---Patent-7270496<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56428404/Ring-Mechanism-For-A-Ring-Binder---Patent-7270496 title="Ring Mechanism For A Ring Binder - Patent 7270496"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56428404.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Sunday, October 03, 2010<p>The invention relates to ring binders, and more particularly to ring mechanisms for ring binders.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONRing binders often employ a ring mechanism that is movable between an open position, which allows a user to insert documents into the ring binder, and a closed position, which allows the user to securely store the documents in the ring binder. Some ring mechanisms include a locking member that prevents inadvertent opening of the ring mechanism when the ring binder is subjected to forces such as bumping or dropping. The locking member can be moved between a locked position and an unlockedposition. Ring mechanisms that include a locking member can only be opened for insertion of documents when the locking member is in the unlocked position.Ring mechanisms often include an elongated chassis and an actuator that is movable relative to the chassis to move the ring mechanism between the open and closed positions. Ring mechanisms that include a locking member may also utilize theactuator to move the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions. The chassis and the actuator are conventionally formed of stamped metal. Movement of the actuator relative to the chassis can cause metal-to-metal contact between theactuator and the inner surface of the chassis, which can result in undesirable noise or a non-smooth feel.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a dampening member that substantially reduces the metal-to-metal contact that can be made when an actuator is moved relative to the inner surface of a chassis. More specifically, the dampening member is positionedat least partially between the inner surface of the chassis and the actuator to prevent at least a portion of the actuator from directly engaging the inner surface of the chassis. In one embodiment of the invention, the dampening member includes anon-metallic member made of a plastic material, an elastomeric material, or any other suitable material. The non-meta</p></div>Patents-321Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:47:03 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56428404/Ring-Mechanism-For-A-Ring-Binder---Patent-7270496Loose-leaf Binder - Patent 7347640http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56350229/Loose-leaf-Binder---Patent-7347640<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56350229/Loose-leaf-Binder---Patent-7347640 title="Loose-leaf Binder - Patent 7347640"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56350229.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 02, 2010<p>FIELD OF INVENTIONThis invention relates to loose-leaf binders and analogous products such as loose-leaf personal organizers, loose-leaf flip charts, loose-leaf writing pads and loose-leaf photo albums.BACKGROUNDBinders generally are comprised of two high-level assemblies, a "skeleton" and cover. The skeleton, as used herein, refers to the chassis of the binder, including the rings, spine and possible actuators, but excluding the cover. The spine, asused herein, refers to the elongated portion of the skeleton on which the rings are mounted; the spine excludes the rings, any transversely protruding elements disposed at the longitudinal ends of the skeleton such as actuation levers or proximate to theattachment points of rings such as springs wrapped around ring bases, and transversely protruding elements which are not fixed to rotate with the elongated portion such as a cover-attachment fastener wrapped about and rotatable about the elongatedportion.One object of loose-leaf binders, which is related to both the skeleton and the cover, is minimization of the "footprint" of the binder. The footprint of a binder is the area that is covered by any part of the binder when the binder is placedupon a generally flat surface. Minimizing a binder's footprint during use efficiently utilizes desk, table, or lap space.A substitute product, the spiral notebook, specifically addresses this object by letting users flip the front cover and forward pages perfectly flat beneath the back cover and latter pages. However, spiral notebooks do not permit the easyaddition or removal of pages.Conventional loose-leaf binders have a very large footprint because, during use, the front cover is open 180 degrees relative to the back cover. This large footprint causes these binders to be cumbersome during use. Furthermore, if the frontcover and forward loose-leaves are flipped behind the back cover and latter loose-leaves of a conventional binder, the forward and latter loose-leaves do not l</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:44:29 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56350229/Loose-leaf-Binder---Patent-7347640Fastening System - Patent 7160046http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56280265/Fastening-System---Patent-7160046<div><a href=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/56280265/Fastening-System---Patent-7160046 title="Fastening System - Patent 7160046"<img src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/100/56280265.png" alt="" style="border: 1px solid #C3E6D8; float: right;" /></a><br />shared by: <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/profile/Patents-321">Patents-321</a> on: Saturday, October 02, 2010<p>The present invention relates to afastening system comprising a stud and a sheet of cover material and is more especially but not exclusively concerned with a fastening system for binding paper stationery or the like that has been pre-punched with round holes.Binders for paper stationery are well known but suffer from several disadvantages--one disadvantage is that they are sold in a pre-assembled state, and are therefore bulky, and another disadvantage is that the pre-assembly steps are expensive.Objects of the present invention are to tackle those disadvantages by providing a fastening system, capable of use in binding paper stationery that has been pre-punched with round holes, wherein the fastening system can be sold in a disassembledstate but then assembled in a simple and convenient manner by an end user.According to the present invention, a fastening system comprises a stud and a sheet of cover material;the stud being formed with a groove, and the sheet of cover material being formed with a hole and two slits, the slits extending away from respective intersections with the hole in respective directions which are not in alignment with oneanother;whereby, in use, the stud is pushed through the hole until the groove in the stud snaps into engagement with the hole in the sheet of cover material.It will be appreciated that a binder can be formed from the combination of one or more of the studs being snapped into engagement with one or more of the sheets of cover material.Preferably, the sheet of cover material is formed of a plastics material such as polyurethane, polypropylene or polyethylene, but could be formed of paper, card, wood, leather or metal.The deformability of the sheet of cover material, coupled with the spring-back property of the sheet of cover material, creates the ability for the stud to snap into engagement with the sheet of cover material.Preferably, the slits diverge with increasing distance from the hole to form a flap.Preferably, the slits a</p></div>Patents-321Sat, 02 Oct 2010 02:29:11 GMThttp://www.docstoc.com/docs/56280265/Fastening-System---Patent-7160046